Lance Forman disputes Nigel Farage's claim he was plotting against him

But Mr Forman - the owner of the H Forman and Son salmon smokehouse - said on Friday: ”I have never plotted against him.

“Indeed I have supported him publicly at every stage. This is not about personalities. I, like many of Nigel’s supporters, now simply take a different view.

“The big question that everyone should ask themselves is - If he really thought Boris’ deal was so bad, why stand down 317 candidates?"

He added that Mr Farage’s strategy “risks losing Brexit and worse even than that - it risks Corbyn in number 10 with a Remain alliance."

The four Brexit Party quitters - who included John Longworth, former director-general of the British Chamber of Commerce and classical singer Lucy Harris and Annunziata Rees-Mogg - denied they had been urged to resign by the Tories.

Sources close to Mr Farage called for the four to quit as MEPs.