Sykes is ready to give £1.5m to Ukip as party sets sights on 100 seats

Businessman Paul Sykes, the party’s biggest donor, has indicated he will hand over another £1.5 million to help widen its ambitions.

The move emerged as a poll found nearly a third of the public would vote for Ukip if they thought it could win in their area. Overall, the research by Opinium for the Observer put the party on 18 per cent support.

Nigel Farage had suggested that Ukip would target its resources on a few dozen constituencies that it could potentially win next May.

But Mr Sykes said: “Our finances are now rebuilding again after the European election victory but we will be raising significant further funds for a national campaign and a strong push to target marginal seats, probably nearer 100 than the 30 to 40 we originally identified.

“You’re going to be able to see this campaign from the moon.

“Ukip is not going to lose the campaign because we don’t have enough adverts.”

Mr Sykes, the builder of Sheffield’s Meadowhall shopping centre, put around £1m into this year’s European elections, in which Ukip topped the polls.

His £650m fortune makes him the 26th wealthiest person in Britain,