What is really going on in politics? Get our daily email briefing straight to your inbox Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

Squirming Jacob Rees-Mogg has said he "deeply regrets" once sharing a dinner table with a far-right activist who has been recorded in a hate-filled, racist rant.

The Tory MP confessed he received a tip-off about "unpleasant views" before attending the dinner, where he sat next to Gregory Lauder-Frost, five years ago.

But he went to the dinner anyway - and has now blamed Conservative central office for failing to provide any evidence for why he should not.

Despite saying it was a "unquestionably a mistake" to attend the dinner, the Tory MP failed to say sorry today.

The Mirror revealed how Gregory Lauder-Frost spouted bile about justice campaigner Baroness Lawrence , who he called a “n*****”, and broadcaster Vanessa Feltz , who he dismissed as a “fat Jewish s**g”.

He also talked of deporting non-whites to their “natural homelands” as he was covertly taped by anti-racism group HOPE not hate who are making a film about the rise of the alt-right.

Mr Rees-Mogg, a grassroots Tory favourite for Prime Minister, was snapped sitting next to Lauder-Frost five years ago at a dinner of the Traditional Britain Group, of which Lauder-Frost is vice-president.

Facebook photos showed the controversial backbencher at the black-tie event, surrounded by dozens of mainly young and entirely white dinner guests.

The Tory later said he regretted his decision to deliver the keynote speech to a group that wants “voluntary repatriation” of black Britons such as Doreen Lawrence, mother of tragic Stephen, who was murdered by a racist gang in 1993.

Asked about the Mirror's story today, he told Sky News: "As it happened I asked central office before going to that dinner and at that point they knew nothing about the organisation.

"I made enquiries, I heard nothing about them.

"I deeply regret going to that dinner. It was a mistake. This fellow’s views are really disgusting and I have no association with them.

(Image: Sky News)

"I would not have attended that dinner had I known, and regrettably when I asked central office, and this is many years ago, they didn’t give me the information."

He added: "Somebody rang me up shortly before the event to say these people had unpleasant views and therefore I made enquiries to see what evidence there was for that.

"Regrettably I didn’t find any evidence, otherwise I would have of course pulled out.

"I regret it. It was unquestionably a mistake to go to this dinner.

"The views are not my views and I do not think his views have any place in a modern democracy. I think they’re really revolting views, I can’t be critical enough of them. And I made a mistake in going to that dinner. I make no bones about it."

Conservative central office has been contacted for comment.

Lauder-Frost is the former political secretary of the Monday Club, which called for the repatriation of 50,000 immigrants a year and the repeal of all race relations legislation.

That club was once linked to the Conservative Party, but the Tories severed ties with it in 2001.

Lauder-Frost told of his opposition to Baroness Lawrence’s 2013 appointment to the House of Lords when he spoke on Feltz’s BBC London radio show at the time.

He said: “It’s ridiculous. She’s made countless anti-English comments over the last 10 years. She’s no friend of the English people.”

But the views he shared with an undercover HOPE not hate researcher at a London pub last year are even more despicable.

He called the Baroness a “n*****” and, showering his listener with spittle, said of Feltz: “She’s a fat Jewish s**g, she’s revolting, revolting. She lives with a negro. She’s horrible.”

On repatriation, he said: “We’re saying, ‘You’ve got three years, then go home. Go to your natural homelands…We give you time to go.’ Then we’ll swing into action.

“I think that’s the only way forward, if we want to save our cultures and our nations. Because these people are having children like rabbits.”

(Image: Getty Images Europe)

HOPE not hate investigator Patrik Hermansson, 25, made contact with the extremists after setting up a fake online profile and posting on far-right sites.

Within weeks he was embraced by some of Britain’s most odious extremists.

He drank from a Viking hunting horn with Stead Steadman, leader of far-right think-tank London Forum.

And he met Holocaust denier David Irving, who told him: “I’m pretty sure that in Auschwitz not much happened.”

Steadman introduced Patrik to ­American Greg Johnson, the editor of far-right Counter Currents, who told Patrik that European countries should become all-white “homelands”. Asked about the “Jewish problem”, he said: “The ultimate solution ultimately is to expel them.”

(Image: Getty Images Europe)

Patrik was trusted to vet new recruits at London Forum meetings and said many of them had felt encouraged to attend by the rise of US President Donald Trump.

Patrik, who was undercover for a year, said: “They were mostly young men who had never been to a real-world far-right group before.

“We’d ask them why are they here now. The explanation many of them gave was that their ideas have become more acceptable after Trump.

“Trump was a pivot. They may have been active for years behind a laptop but now they’re going to meetings.”

HOPE not hate aim to raise £35,000 to produce a film, A Year Undercover in the Alt-right, based on hours of footage Patrik obtained.

A spokesman for Traditional Britain said Lauder-Frost “does not recall being interviewed by an anonymous coward seeking to engage in defamation” and that “any interviews taking place with him are personal unless it is agreed he is speaking on behalf of the Traditional Britain Group”.

Group administrator Richard Curry, said: “Gregory Lauder-Frost denies he was filmed anywhere at all. Everyone is entitled to their own very personal opinions. He has a list of all interviews given on behalf of the Traditional Britain Group and yours does not figure. Your comments on repatriation are simply not the TBG’s policies.”