One of UKIP's biggest donors has told Sky News Theresa May has "re-branded" the Conservatives as the UK Independence Party.

Arron Banks claimed the Prime Minister's speech to the Tory party conference could have been written by Nigel Farage, who is back in the charge of the party - albeit temporarily - after the surprise resignation of Diane James.

Mr Banks said: "If you look at what Theresa May has done today, she's basically re-branded the Conservative party as UKIP. So, a lot of the ideas, a lot of the political agenda, they've switched onto."

Mr Banks added: "What Theresa May did today was give a speech that I think Nigel Farage could have given over the last two or three years.

Nigel Farage has ruled himself out of the UKIP leadership contest

"It's hugely encouraging these ideas that were thought to be peripheral are now mainstream."


On the impact of Mr Farage's time at the helm of UKIP, Mr Banks said: "In my view he (Mr Farage) is the most inspirational British politician of the last 25 years.

"You can hate him or love him but he's radically traumatised the Conservative party in having to basically declare themselves UKIP, he's split the Labour party and the Lib Dems have fallen down the crack."

Mr Banks said he was certain Steven Woolfe would become the next leader of UKIP, and said Douglas Carswell, the party's only MP, and Neil Hamilton, the party's leader in Wales, had to go.

Diane James is elected as UKIP leader

He accused the pair of being "very destructive", and said Mr Farage struggled to deal with their "internal clique" within UKIP.

Mr Banks said: "Douglas Carswell has to go, I think Hamilton has to go … and I think that Steven Woolfe will win the leadership by a considerable margin and I think it is possible to reunite and to take the party in a different direction."

As for the party's future, Mr Banks claimed UKIP has been given a "huge opportunity" by virtue of Labour's recent troubles.

"I think UKIP's future lies on challenging the Labour party and other issues other than Brexit," he said.

"I think there's a huge opportunity."