A former UK government minister has rejected claims he secretly spied on one of Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign advisers, calling the allegation uncredible and without merit.

Tobias Ellwood, the Tory MP for Bournemouth East, gave The Telegraph his most detailed account yet of the meetings in question to put the issue to bed.

“So I can confirm that I am not a spy,” Mr Ellwood said as he dismissed allegations floated frequently and loosely by George Papadopoulos, who advised Mr Trump on foreign policy.

Mr Ellwood said he only met Mr Papadopoulos twice before the 2016 US election to build ties with the Trump campaign given his role with the Foreign Office at the time.

The interview was given as part of this newspaper’s Crossfire podcast, which unpacks the British angles to the Trump-Russia election meddling scandal.