Ukip has not taken kindly to today's story in The Times that raises questions about how Nigel Farage has spent his European Parliament allowances.
Farage has hit out at the story on the front page of "establishment newspaper" for being "politically motivated". The party has also drawn up a hit list of Times journalists that it claims are writing negative stories about Ukip in order to help David Cameron and the Conservative Party. As one Ukip press officer decided to delicately put it: "T.I.M.E.S.= Tories Inventing More Erroneous Shite."
In a statement posted to its website today, Ukip said: "Who are the Times journalists behind the constant attacks on Nigel Farage and Ukip? Perhaps it will not surprise you to know that most have family or personal connections to the Conservative Party and that the majority are from immensely privileged backgrounds that have enabled them to prosper as part of the 'chumocracy' run by David Cameron."
The personal attack on the backgrounds and personal relationships of the paper's reporters is part of Ukip's strategy to present itself as separate from the Westminster establishment ahead of May's European elections.
Some of the writers 'named and shamed' by Ukip for having gone to private school (just as Farage did) were more than happy to contribute to their entries on the list of party enemies.
The list includes executive editor Daniel Finkelstein (who is a Conservative peer), columnist Matthew Parris and outgoing comment editor Tim Montgomerie.