Douglas Carswell clashes with Ukip officials over money

By Rachel Anderson

Senior Ukip figures are doing battle over the money their four million votes in the General Election will bring them.

As a major party, Ukip will be entitled to £650,000 of what’s known as Short money which goes to opposition parties to help finance their backroom operations.

On Monday Douglas Carswell, the party’s only MP, was approached by the party secretary with a plan to recruit 15 staff.

Sources say that the plan was dismissed out of hand as Mr Carswell is not an “American senator” and sees no need to spend that kind of money on staffing when there is only one MP to serve at Westminster.

Instead there is a more to make sure much of money should be returned to the taxpayer to help constituents who can’t afford train fares and other basics.

Mr Carswell is believed to be determined to differentiate himself from the image of a gravy train politician taking allowances from Brussels because they are available and instead wants to make sure everything is done “by the book”.