Nigel Farage addresses a Brexit Party rally in Birmingham. His new party is ahead of both Labour and the Conservatives in polls

The resurgence of Nigel Farage has left hardline Conservative Brexiteers even more determined not to vote for Theresa May’s deal.

Two polls this week put the former Ukip leader’s new Brexit Party in front of Labour and the Conservatives for the European parliament elections, due to take place on May 23.

“Whatever happens we cannot have these European parliament elections,” one senior Conservative told The Times. “The referendum was supposed to kill Ukip — what May’s done over the last two weeks has dug up the corpse and put Farage’s face on it.”

On Thursday night the Conservative group on Derbyshire county council announced that it would not help with the campaign at all.

Barry Lewis, the council leader, said deciding not to