The Conservative MP for the constituency with the second highest number of Jewish voters has revealed that he was asked to defect to Ukip.

Matthew Offord, the MP for Hendon, said he was approached by Ukip treasurer Andrew Reid, who is a constituent.

"Andrew actually asked me to go to Ukip," Mr Offord said. "The treasurer of Ukip says I represent his point of view."

But Mr Offord, who had a majority of 106 in the last election, said he was not tempted. "I didn't waver. Ukip could not produce a referendum on EU membership, only the Conservative party can achieve that, and I want a referendum for this country," he said.

Mr Reid, who is Jewish, and a former Tory councillor who joined Ukip after becoming disgruntled with policy on the EU, said he could not recall asking Mr Offord to join his party.

He said: "I don't remember having that conversation with him. I haven't seen the man in ages."

He added: "We have been chatting to many Conservative and Labour MPs."

● UKip's Jewish candidate for Hendon, Jeremy Zeid, said he would like to banish the party's National Executive Committee from the UK over its decision to ban shechita. Mr Zeid said he wanted to send the NEC to St Helena after it adopted a policy to outlaw religious slaughter.

St Helena is the south Atlantic island where Napoleon was exiled after the Battle of Waterloo. Mr Zeid previously described the NEC as "idiots".