If Nigel Farage does as well as the pollsters predict in the European elections this Thursday, expect some new and surprising names from the City and across industry to open their purses to help the UK Independence Party put up a serious fight at the general election.

Until recently only a few backers such as Yorkshire tycoon Paul Sykes, IG's Stuart Wheeler - now Ukip's treasurer, economist Tim Congdon and Stephen Hill of Anglo-Sino Capital Partners have come out with guns blazing, backing the party with money and words. Others are biding their time.