The families of two former prime ministers have taken aim at controversial businessman Clive Palmer for claiming the pair as former leaders of his political party, the United Australia Party (UAP).

The original UAP was founded in 1931 and dissolved in 1945, forming government four times under two prime ministers — Joseph Lyons and Robert Menzies.

Mr Palmer, who renamed his Palmer United Party (PUP) as the UAP in 2018, is claiming the two men — and third historic leader Billy Hughes — as alumni of his party on its website.

That has shocked Mr Menzies' daughter.

"It makes me feel extremely cross, because it's not the same party," Heather Henderson told the ABC.

"It's absolutely nothing to do with my father.

"Most Australians were not even alive when the UAP were going, so it's very difficult for people to know what happened in the past."

Mrs Henderson said she hoped the UAP would remove the references to her father, Australia's longest-serving prime minister, and said she would ask Mr Palmer to do so.

"As my father used to say, retro satanas — get thee behind me, Satan. And I must not say more that I might regret."

The concerns about Mr Palmer linking his party to the legacy of former prime ministers are shared by descendants of Joseph Lyons.

"I think many people would find it astonishing to associate those former leaders of the party with the Clive Palmer United Australia Party," Wendy Lacey told the ABC, speaking on behalf of one branch of the Lyons family.

Professor Lacey, who is Dean of Law at the University of South Australia, is Mr Lyons' great-granddaughter.

"I think all the family are a little bit disappointed that Clive Palmer has adopted that same party name," she said.

"It is unfortunate that the website for the UAP, in its current iteration, lays claim to many former leaders of that party, including my great-grandfather, along with Robert Menzies and Billy Hughes."

Professor Lacey said she hoped Australians would understand there was no connection between the UAP of old and the Palmer-led party.

"Given the original United Australia party was disbanded in the early 1940s, I think it's quite unfortunate that many decades later we're seeing the name re-used," she said.

"You would hope that Australians would appreciate that the original party that was established in the 1930s was a very different political party structure with very different leadership and different ideals to the current UAP."

A spokesman for the UAP said the Lyons and Menzies families had not raised their concerns with the party, and they were welcome to join the UAP to influence its policies.

The spokesman said members of Billy Hughes's family had joined the party.

Palmer's political comeback campaign widely criticised

The original UAP was a precursor to the modern-day Liberal party, founded by Robert Menzies.

Mr Palmer was a member of the Liberal National Party in Queensland until 2012.

Clive Palmer is hoping to return to Federal Parliament, after his brief stint as the Member for Fairfax between 2013 and 2016. ( ABC: Nick Haggarty )

He is attempting a political comeback after his short-lived tenure in Federal Parliament as the Member for Fairfax between 2013 and 2016.

The controversial businessman's election campaign tactics have angered many across the country, through his use of unsolicited text messages to spruik for votes.

He has been criticised for the amount of money he's spending on advertising, given the collapse of his nickel refinery in Townsville, leaving workers without entitlements.

Mr Palmer strenuously denies he owes any money.

A mobile game he developed was found to have the ability to access data stored on users' phones.

He has also been subject to legal threats by bands Culture Club and Twisted Sister for breach of copyright, after he rewrote parts of their songs for campaign material.