Tories remain upbeat despite defections, says Hague

Conservative party donor, insurance entrepreneur Arron Banks, is set to join UKIP, the BBC understands.

Mr Banks, who has donated more than £250,000 to the Tories since David Cameron became leader in 2005, is to give a £100,000 cheque to UKIP leader Nigel Farage.

It comes after Tory MPs Mark Reckless and Douglas Carswell defected to UKIP.

However, Leader of the House of Commons William Hague told BBC Breakfast that the Tories had "fully moved on" and that Mr Banks was "not a senior figure in this party".