A Tory ERG Spartan risked Theresa May's wrath today after admitting he can 'well understand' why Conservative supporters might back Nigel Farage's Brexit Party.

Backbench MP Michael Fabricant said when Britain goes to the polls for the European election on May 23 it will become a second referendum for angry Eurosceptics.

But with Tory HQ threatening expulsion to rebels, Mr Fabricant, who has compared his party leader Theresa May to Hitler's appeaser Neville Chamberlain, insists he will still be voting Tory.

He tweeted: 'In the Euro Elections while I will support and campaign for the #Conservatives and our great MEPs, I can well understand why many will choose to vote for the Brexit Party as a protest against the failure to deliver March 29. Almost a 2nd Referendum/People's Vote'.

Tory MPs and councillors have been warned by bosses they will be thrown out of the party if they back Nigel Farage's party in the European elections.

Conservative MP Michael Fabricant today admitted he understands why Tories will vote for the Brexit Party in the May Euro elections

The Brexit Party has surged into the lead in the race for the European Elections after a top pollster predicted Nigel Farage's new party could win its first election

Mr Fabricant's tweet said that May 23 it will become a second referendum for Brexiteers who want to show their anger

The Conservatives fear the electorate will lose more than half of their 19 MEPs while the Brexit Party could secure as many as 28 seats.

Mr Farage, pictured yesterday, looks set to clear up at the Euro elections

Dozens of Tory MPs have indicated privately they will vote for Mr Farage, while some, including the MP for Telford Lucy Allan, have offered their support in public.

In an effort to dampen down the revolt the Conservative Party board sent an sternly-worded email to activists, which was seen by The Sunday Times.

This read: 'All party members, including elected representatives at all levels, are expected to fully support the party in all elections. Campaigning for or endorsement of any other political party is incompatible with membership of the party... The board will not hesitate to enforce these rules.'

Downing Street is also urging Tory leadership rivals to stop jostling to succeed Mrs May until the Prime Minister has secured Commons approval for her Brexit deal.

Chief Whip Julian Smith is begging the main contenders to 'lay down their arms' in the national interest and concentrate instead on persuading diehard Brexit 'Spartans' to back Mrs May's deal – and avert the humiliation of being forced to contest the European elections next month.

Jacob Rees-Mogg: Voting for Farage will soon give Corbyn the keys to No 10 Jacob Rees-Mogg today warned Tories moving to the Brexit Party will eventually let Jeremy Corbyn into Downing Street. The Brexiteer said any Tory MPs or councillors who votes for Nigel Farage's party must be axed. He said: 'I greatly respect Nigel Farage and I fully understand what my sister Annunziata is doing in supporting them but I don't think it's the right way to do it. 'If we get to a General Election with the votes split between the Conservative party and the Brexit Party, all that does is let Jeremy Corbyn in who doesn't deliver Brexit at all because the Labour party is quite hostile to it. 'So what we need to do is ultimately reunite the Conservative party - but that's a little way off at the moment.' Advertisement

Mr Smith, who has arranged a series of one-to-one meetings with the contenders over the coming days, is prioritising Brexiteers such as Boris Johnson and Dominic Raab, who he believes stand the best chance of persuading the 'Spartans' to drop their opposition.

Leading party figures took to politics shows today to say they understood the frustration of grassroots members and activists, which will be tested first at Thursday's local election.

Tory deputy chairwoman Helen Whately admitted the local elections 'are going to be a difficult night for us' after predictions her party could lose a thousand councillors amid anger over Brexit.

Elections will take place at 248 councils in England and Ms Whately admitted the contests in England were a chance to 'kick the Government' and said she had seen 'more anger than before' on the doorstep.

Speaking to Sky News' Sophy Ridge On Sunday, she said: 'I think there's no doubt that it's going to be a difficult night for us.'

She said it was down to the fact the seats which are up for grabs this time round were last contested in 2015, the 'high point' for her party.

Meanwhile, Conservative Party Chairman Brandon Lewis said acknowledged the 'huge frustration' among activists but begged for their support.

He said the focus was on getting a Brexit deal through Parliament which would allow the UK to avoid the May 23 vote.

'Our first priority is to not have to fight the European elections,' he told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show. 'I think we should be looking to do everything we can to respect that 2016 referendum.

'If and when we are at the point where we know we are definitely fighting those European elections then we will take some decisions about that.'

He played down reports about donors deserting the party, insisting that 2018 had been a 'record peacetime fundraising year'.

But he added: 'I don't deny the frustration people in our party have over where we are on Brexit. I share that frustration, I want to get this done so we don't fight those European elections.'