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Two Tory MPs are set to speak at Ukip's party conference, fuelling rumours of more defections to Nigel Farage's party.

Peter Bone and Tom Pursglove are set to appear at the February get-together in Llandudno to rally support for the Grassroots Out (GO) campaign.

The organisation is part of a bid to be designated as the official campaign to Leave the EU, which will give it access to higher spending limits but requires being able to demonstrate high levels of cross-party support.

The Go Movement has announced that Eurosceptics from GO, Ukip and Leave.EU will come together under its umbrella and apply for designation as the official Leave campaign.

According to the agenda for the Llandudno conference, Wellingborough MP Mr Bone will tell Ukip members the background to the campaign so far and Mr Pursglove will give details of the group's strategy.

(Image: Getty)

Their potential attendance at the event will raise eyebrows given the defection of former Tory MPs Douglas Carswell and Mark Reckless to the Ukip cause in recent years - although neither Mr Bone nor Mr Pursglove are expected to change party allegiance.

A Ukip source told the Mirror: "They are not defecting, just building cross-party bridges."

Corby MP Mr Pursglove said: "I'm not defecting, ever, I can assure you of that."

He said GO had not yet formally accepted the invitation to the conference and claimed the agenda published on the Ukip website was a provisional timetable.

"We have received an invitation as Grassroots Out to the Ukip conference to present what GO is doing," he said.

"That is an invitation we are still considering."

(Image: Getty)

He said a cross-party panel, potentially including a Labour figure such as former minister Kate Hoey, could represent the campaign.

Mr Pursglove said if he decided to attend he would ensure that the Conservative Party leadership was aware.

"I will naturally tell my whip about that just so that they are aware," he said.

Ukip chairman Steve Crowther said: "We are delighted to be welcoming Tom Pursglove and Peter Bone and others from the GO Movement to our conference in Wales.

"This is yet more evidence that we are seeing a coming together of most groups of people who wish to see our country free and independent.

"Party politics for the duration of this referendum campaign has no say."