UPDATE (13:43): The saga is over, for now. UKIP have restored ownership of the domain. Posting on Facebook, Alcopop! stated that “the internet has let us down. This morning we legitimately purchased the UKIP website for £200. However, GoDaddy seem to have given it back to them (no sign of a refund yet). Genuinely gutted. We’ll be back Farage….”
Their final words?
If they can't be trusted to run a website, i fear a country may be too much for them…. Don't see the Alcopop! site down!
— Alcopop! Records (@ilovealcopop) January 6, 2015
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In what has to be one of the best news stories of 2015, it appears that independent record label Alcopop! are now the proud owners of the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP)’s former official website.
Guess who owns http://t.co/MF2oRnDEbJ ….. #whatthehelldoidowiththisnow pic.twitter.com/Q0CXPaTtjW
— Alcopop! Records (@ilovealcopop) January 6, 2015
Although no official statement has been released by either Alcopop! or UKIP, it appears the notorious far-right “political” party failed to update their domain subscription for UKIP.org – their official website. In the aftermath, the domain went back up for sale only to be purchased by Alcopop!. Details are sketchy… but either way, this is gold. All former UKIP material will now point the public towards the Alcopop! owned website.
UPDATE: Alcopop! are being informed on many counts that the sale will not go through. In response, they have posted the confirmation on Twitter.
People on Twitter saying this website isn’t going to go through. May not (im no expert), but here’s the order conf x pic.twitter.com/PG8YxF0BAC
— Alcopop! Records (@ilovealcopop) January 6, 2015
UPDATE: Approached by The Independent, an Alcopop! spokesperson claimed they are not yet sure what to do with the domain, should it go through. “Some great charities have suggested linking through to them so that sounds like a cracking idea. What I really don’t want to do, if it all goes through, is do anything to make a load of money – which would be horribly crass.”
UKIP have dismissed the issue as a dirty trick that “usually happen before an election. We have had a technical problem with the website overnight, it is being worked on currently and will get it back up as soon as possible.”