Mayfair-based law firm is tenth largest UKIP donor in 2014

Official figures from the Electoral Commission reveals that a London law firm was the tenth highest financial donor to controversial political party UKIP, in the last year.

RMPI LLP, which specialises in personal injury law, made four separate donations of £9,015.55 in cash to the Nigel Farage's party in February, March, April and June of 2014. The total amount of RMPI's donations is £36,062.20.

RMPI is recommended in the Legal 500, and is listed in Legal Experts 2007. The firm says that it is a member of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) and is also accredited by the SRA's Personal Injury Panel.

LondonlovesBusiness.com, the online newspaper for London's business community, revealed the top ten donors to UKIP yesterday.

In 2013, UKIP earned £2,479,314, of which donations accounted for £1,373,031. In 2014 donations have already topped £3m, after the highly publicised donation of £300,000 from the owner of the Daily Express, Richard Desmond, in December.

Donors ahead of RMPI include the Highstone Group Ltd, owned by Paul Sykes; the former Conservative party supporter Arron Banks; Daily Express owner Richard Desmond; the founder of spread betting firm IG Index, Stuart Wheeler; Growth Financial Services Ltd; London property developer Mura Estates; club owner Robin Birley; Bown Properties Ltd; and UKIP member Derek Roland Clark.

In addition to the firm's donations, it appears that Andrew Stephen Reid, who is described as a 'member' of RMPI, on the Law Society's 'Find a Solicitor' site, made three personal non-cash donations of £6,498 for 'premises' in 2014 totalling £19,494.

SJ contacted Reid and RMPI to ask which of UKIP's policies the firm thought would be of benefit to the practice of personal injury law or the legal profession in general. However, a spokesperson for Reid told SJ that no one would be available for comment before Christmas.

In 2011, the Labour party was criticised for receiving over £350,000 in donations from law firms over a ten year period. Labour received over £200,000 in donations from personal injury law firm, Thompsons Solicitors.

Earlier this year, SJ reported on personal injury practice, Winn Solicitors, which is now owned by a charitable trust, whose owner Sir Brian Souter is a prominent supporter of the Scottish National Party.

Image copyright 360b / Shutterstock.com

John van der Luit-Drummond is legal reporter for Solicitors Journal