The billionaire founder of financial services firm Hargreaves Lansdown has donated £1m to the Conservative Party ahead of next week’s election.

Peter Hargreaves, who helped finance the Vote Leave campaign in 2016, said that he was concerned that Brexit would not happen and the UK would be left in the EU.

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The 73-year-old told Reuters: “The electorate voted to be out, out, out, out, totally out. The referendum paper didn’t say anything about a halfway house. It asked people whether they wanted to stay, or whether they wanted to leave, and the electorate voted to leave.”

Hargreaves’ donation equals largest given to the Tories in this election campaign.

Broadway producer and distributor John Gore, who is a regular donor to the party, gave the same amount in November.

Hargreaves added: “I don’t think Brexit is a certainty. In my opinion, the best deal that we can have is Leave – it is better than staying and considerably better than any halfway house.”

The former Hargreaves Lansdown boss made the donation despite calling Boris Johnson a “buffoon” last year.

Since the beginning of the campaign the Conservatives have raised over £12m, three times the amount of the Labour party.

Johnson’s party look set for a majority next week, which would enable the Conservatives to finally push through the Prime Minister’s Brexit deal.

The polls show that the Tories have a considerable lead over Labour, although the numbers have begun to narrow recently.

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Savanta Comres’ poll for the Telegraph put the Tories on 42 per cent of public support, with Labour trailing at 32 per cent and the Liberal Democrats on 12 per cent.

However, 21 per cent of poll respondents say they haven’t entirely made up their mind.