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Two senior Tory ministers have expressed interest in a new anti- Brexit political party, David Davis’ ex-chief of staff claimed today.

James Chapman, who was the Brexit Secretary’s top aide, told the BBC: “The Conservative brand has been damaged to such an extent” that the party will never win a majority again.

He said people had been sold “a pack of lies” during the election campaign and people in a democracy have “the right to change their minds.”

In recent days, Chapman has floated the idea of a new political party - the Democrats - to block Brexit, and has been drumming up support from disgruntled Tory and Labour MPs.

He said two current cabinet ministers, a number of previous ministers and a number of shadow cabinet ministers had been in touch to say they are sympathetic to his cause.

(Image: James Chapman/Twitter) (Image: James Chapman/Twitter)

“They’re not saying they’re going to quit their parties,” he said in a head to head Radio 4 interview with arch-Tory Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg.

“But they are saying that there’s an enormous gap in the centre of British politics.

“The two main parties have been captured by their fringes. And Jacob is a member of that fringe. He’s captured my party, and I no longer want to be a part of it.”

He added: "There are times in our national life when you have to put your nation before your country and what the hard Brexit plan Mrs (Theresa) May is pursuing in going to take the economy off a cliff, it's going to make Black Wednesday look like a picnic and when that happens the Conservative Party will never be in power again."

(Image: PA) (Image: James Chapman/Twitter)

But Mr Rees-Mogg said he would be “very surprised” if there was that level of disharmony in the higher levels of the Conservative party.

He told the programme: "I think most people in the high levels of the party and across the Conservative Party and the nation have accepted the democratic result of the referendum a year ago."

He argued Chapman wanted to overturn a democratic vote, and his party would more accurately be called “The Oligarchs”.

And he said the Liberal Democrats had campaigned on reversing Brexit at the referendum and the “electorate blew a raspberry at them”.