Tory bosses have threatened to kick MPs and grassroots activists out of the party if they support Nigel Farage in the EU elections — as two opinion polls show support for the party in freefall, and sources predicted that sitting MPs could jump ship to the Brexit Party without waiting to be pushed.

A YouGov poll, commissioned by the anti-extremism campaign group Hope Not Hate, shows the Tories have slumped to just 13 per cent in polling for the European elections next month and are on course to lose more than half their 19 MEPs, while the Brexit party is on 28 per cent and on course to win 28.

A separate Panelbase survey for The Sunday Times puts the Tories and the Brexit Party