UPDATED: Alcopop! Records seem to have bought UKIP's domain name

06 January 2015, 12:48 | Written by Laurence Day

(News)

(Johnny Foreigner) (Radstewart) (Acollective)

UPDATE: A statement on the label's Facebook page reveals that sadly, the hosts have given the domain back to UKIP: "Sorry guys - the internet has let us down. This morning we legitimately purchased the UKIP website for £200 (confirmation here). However, Go Daddy seem to have given it back to them (no sign of a refund yet). Genuinely gutted. We'll be back Farage...."

UKIP.com is normally a thriving hub for all things Nigel Farage, but these days it's looking rather threadbare. Why? Because Alcopop! Records have bought it.

Alcopop! is home to artists like Radstewart, Johnny Foreigner and Acollective, and it's a gutsy move from the label's head Jack Alcopop - Alcopop!'s a flourishing indie, but it's no international conglomerate.

As The Independent report, "Who.is.org shows that the website was updated on 5 January 2015. Further information shows that the website was also updated today (6 January). Alcopop! Records claims to have bought the domain name from GoDaddy.com at 10.30am on 6 December for £200."

An Alcopop! Records spokesperson claim that they've got an email confirmation receipt, but have been told Twitter followers that the transaction won't go through. They also explained potential plans, should they be able to keep it: "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."

Check the proof of purchase below.

Guess who owns http://t.co/MF2oRnDEbJ ..... #whatthehelldoidowiththisnow pic.twitter.com/Q0CXPaTtjW
— Alcopop! Records (@ilovealcopop) January 6, 2015

UKIP are "aware" of the issue, and have been slinging accusations, claiming it could be the usual "dirty tricks" that "usually happen before an election".

An official UKIP spokesman said to The Independent: "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."

[via The Independent]