Court ruling saves UKIP

THE UK Independence Party was saved from potential bankruptcy after a ruling by the Supreme Court over £350,000 in donations it had been ordered to forfeit.

Judges reversed a ruling by the Court of Appeal last October over the sum which, together with legal costs, would have landed the party with a 750,000 bill and according to then leader Nigel Farage, could have forced it out of business.

The reprieve is the latest twist in a long-running battle over donations made by Alan Bown, a retired bookmaker and one of the largest contributors to UKIP funds, who was found not to be on the electoral roll.