Ukip immediately rejected an appeal from Damian Hockney, the leader of the party's Greater London Assembly group, to stage such a contest and a party spokesman laughed off Mr Kilroy-Silk's plans......

Mr Kilroy-Silk was not available for comment last night.

But rumours of his plans have gathered pace within the past few days, with one Ukip branch chairman openly referring to it on an internet forum last Friday. Using a pseudonym, he wrote: "Robert Kilroy-Silk asked me to come over to his new party and I have accepted his offer."

www Ukip Uncovered