Ukip’s new leader has claimed the press is being controlled by a “traitor class” which is “conspiring with foreign powers” against Brexit.

Richard Braine, who took the helm of the Eurosceptic party last week, said there was an “EU federalist class” controlling the media, as he lashed out at the “bias” in Brexit reporting.

Speaking at a press conference in Westminster, Mr Braine cited the change of editor at the Daily Mail and appointment of former deputy prime minister Nick Clegg at Facebook.

“In the last three years we have seen a concerted effort in the media – we’ve seen Geordie Greig installed at the Daily Mail to make sure that it starts to toe the Remainer line,” he told reporters.

“The same thing has happened to some extent at the Express and we’ve seen Sir Nick Clegg getting a very, very well-paid job at Facebook to make sure that nobody can get away with saying what they shouldn’t say on Facebook.

“And we are seeing the press being controlled. You have a duty to be impartial and objective as journalists, so do that because the reporting of Brexit has been so biased for so long now.”

Pressed on who he thought was controlling the media, Mr Braine said: “I think they are being controlled by an EU federalist class – I mean I would go so far as to say a traitor class – people who are conspiring with foreign powers against the people of this country.

“If you look at, for instance, BBC Question Time panellists over the last three years… statistically it’s way off the scale in terms of bias. They hardly ever put real Leave supporters on that show.”