A millionaire British ally of Donald Trump’s is planning to “drain the swap” on this side of the Atlantic by targeting and ousting “corrupt” MPs.
Arron Banks, a major Ukip backer and friend of Nigel Farage, said he was considering ditching the party he currently funds and using the money to finance “anti-establishment” candidates being stood against hundreds of MPs.
Banks said he wanted to harness the potential behind Brexit and Trump’s shock victory in the States to overhaul politics in his home country.
A graphic posted from the campaign’s Twitter he ran during the EU referendum depicted Remain-backers Labour MP David Lammy, former Liberal Democrats leader Nick Clegg and ex-Conservative minister Anna Soubry as potential targets.
They were seen crudely cut out floating in a turquoise liquid in the House of Commons.
Banks said he was planning to oust 200 MPs - a third of those expected to be elected at the next general election.
He named Keith Vaz, the former Chair of Parliament’s Home Affairs Select Committee who was ousted after a newspaper sting, as “number one” on the “undesirability” list of MPs.
“You would rate MPs by (undesirability) with Keith Vaz at No 1, and field a great candidate, a military guy, doctor, someone who has done something with their life,” he told The Times.
“It would be a one-off attempt to drain the swamp. It would be highly amusing to tease career politicians with a hot poker.”
He added: “It’s a very simple agenda: to destroy the professional politician. I like the idea of clearing the place out, setting new rules, maybe reducing the number of MPs. Not a party from the left or right. Just to clear out the worst lot.”
Banks met Trump with a Ukip cohort over the weekend, including Nigel Farage.