Former Farage aide Raheem Kassam pulls out of UKIP leadership race
Mr Kassam says he could not raise enough money for his campaign and hits out at "disgraceful treatment by the media".
Monday 31 October 2016 15:43, UK
Raheem Kassam, a former aide to Nigel Farage, has dropped out of the race to become the next leader of UKIP.
In a statement, Mr Kassam said he had come to realise "the path to victory is too narrow" and urged his backers to support former London mayoral candidate Peter Whittle.
He revealed he could not raise enough money for his leadership bid to be any more than a digital campaign based in Westminster, and also complained of "disgraceful treatment by the media".
Mr Kassam said not appearing at campaign events around the country would have made him a hypocrite, "given how much I criticise the establishment for ignoring the country".
As well as directing his ire at the media, Mr Kassam accused the UKIP hierarchy of treating the leadership election "like a coronation".
He said he had complained to UKIP chariman Paul Oakden about MEPs using party databases to "effectively campaign against me", insisting it was "ostensibly against the rules".
Mr Kassam's announcement comes three days after he launched his campaign in a Westminster pub and on the same day nominations for the party leadership closed.
He had the backing of party donor Arron Banks, but Sky's Beth Rigby said a party source told her Mr Banks had changed his mind about who to support, instead opting for Mr Whittle.
However, in a message on Twitter to our correspondent, Mr Kasam said this was not true.
He tweeted: "Arron did not pull his support but I never wanted to take big cheques from singular donors. We never discussed money."
On the subject of what he called the "disgraceful treatment" from the press, Mr Kassam - who edits the right-wing news website Breitbart London - said he would be pursuing a harassment complaint against a journalist from The Times.
He said: "I am tough and I can take it, but when Times journalists show up at my elderly parents' house at dusk, intimidating them, I draw the line."
Mr Kassam will encourage donors to decide what happens with the remainder of the campaign funds, suggesting either donations to the Royal British Legion or Help for Heroes or donations to UKIP or the campaign of Mr Whittle.
"Those who want refunds are welcome to contact me", he added.
UKIP's only MP, Douglas Carswell, appeared to welcome the news, tweeting an emoji of a smiley face wearing sunglasses shortly after Mr Kassam's announcement.
It adds to the sense of turmoil within the party, not long after in the job.
MEP following an altercation with fellow MEP Mike Hookem in the European Parliament which left him in hospital.
Former deputy leader Paul Nuttall and ex-deputy party chairman Suzanne Evans are thought to be the most likely candidates to become the next UKIP leader, with the result announced on 28 November.
The other two candidates are Mr Whittle and John Rees-Evans, who stood for the party in Wales at the general election.