Tories asked to explain Arron Banks’ rejection

Tory party chairman Brandon Lewis is facing calls to explain why former Leave.eu chief Arron Banks is being “blackballed” from joining the Conservatives.

Insurance tycoon Mr Banks – a former Ukip donor who bankrolled the unofficial leave campaign – said the decision “sends a message that Brexiteers are not welcome in the Tory party”.

Mr Banks, along with his spin doctor Andy Wigmore, had sought to join the Tories in North West Leicestershire – the constituency of Brexit- backing MP Andrew Bridgen. Leave.eu has launched a push for its supporters to join the Conservative Party to back a Brexiteer candidate in any leadership contest to replace Theresa May.

But a party spokesman said: “Arron Banks and Andy Wigmore’s applications for membership of the Conservative Party have not been accepted.”

Mr Bridgen – a prominent critic of Mrs May’s leadership – said his local Conservative association was seeking a written explanation from Mr Lewis.

He said: “Just saying ‘we’re going to reject their membership’, that’s not how it works.”