UKIP supporters angry at tactics

Lord Pearson is actively campaigning on behalf of known Eurosceptic candidates, such as West Yorkshire hopefuls Philip Davies, Janice Small and Alex Story, by either not putting up a candidate against them or calling on the electorate to vote for them ahead of Ukip.

He said the party was satisfied the would-be MPs were opposed to Britain's membership of the EU, but admitted during a visit to Shipley yesterday that local party activists had halted plans to allow Brigg and Goole candidate Andrew Percy, and Leeds North East candidate Matthew Lobley to stand unopposed.

There are also reports that members of Ukip's South West Regional Committee were at odds with Lord Pearson after he wrote to local newspapers urging voters not to support his party in three Somerset constituencies.

Lord Pearson told the Yorkshire Post that he did not want to split the anti-European vote, saying that only if voters "could not bring themselves" to vote for the MPs he was supporting should they then vote Ukip.

Ukip's Euro MP for Yorkshire, Godfrey Bloom, moved to calm the unrest and said he believed Lord Pearson's work with the candidates would be rewarded should they be elected.

He said: "What is above my pay grade and the pay grade of the activists is whether Lord Pearson has done any deals.

"I would be amazed if there isn't something so that should the Tories win power, these MPs will be able to fight for the anti-Europe cause.

"I would not be surprised if, as David Cameron has made such a mess of this campaign, that if the Tories fail and he is sacked, some of these people cross the floor to join Ukip."

The party is fielding 560 candidates, its best hope being former leader Nigel Farage's attempt to win Buckingham against the Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow.

Lord Pearson said: "I have never made any secret about this strategy, and stood on this platform when I ran for the leadership.

"I will continue to put our country above party politics."