Conservative party reject membership of Leave.EU founder Arron Banks
Written by News on 24/08/2018
The Conservative party says it has rejected the membership of millionaire Brexit campaigner Arron Banks.
The Leave.EU campaign founder claimed to have joined the party and called on supporters to follow his lead in a bid to elect a hard-line Brexiteer as the next Tory leader.
His spin doctor Andy Wigmore also claimed to have become a Conservative party member, saying he wanted to “influence the type of leader the country and the Tory party need”.
But a Tory spokesman told Sky News: “Arron Banks and Andrew Wigmore’s applications for membership of the Conservative party have not been approved.”
The spokesman later clarified that their applications to join the party had been denied.
Mr Banks, a friend of Nigel Farage, was one of the largest donors to UKIP and gave £9m to the Leave.EU campaign.
After insisting he had joined the Conservative party, he tweeted Tory Remainers Anna Soubry and Nicky Morgan saying: “Play nicely we are family now!”
Explaining his bid to join the Tories, Mr Banks said: “The battle for Brexit is now within the Conservative party and the upcoming leadership election.
“Over 1.4m people follow Leave.EU online and we have urged them to join up and have their say.”
He also claimed he had received a letter confirming his Conservative membership had been activated.
Mr Banks admitted to MPs in June that he “led people up the garden path” during the EU referendum campaign and used “alternative methods” to influence the Brexit vote.
He was being questioned by a parliamentary committee after claims he held undisclosed meetings with Russian officials around the time of the 2016 referendum.
The insurance tycoon abruptly walked out of the hearing after more than two and half hours, saying it had over-run and he had a lunch appointment.
Mr Banks denies any involvement with Russian officials or that Russian money played a part in the Brexit campaign.
(c) Sky News 2018: Conservative party reject membership of Leave.EU founder Arron Banks
