Brexit should unify all races and religions, a Ukip MEP has declared after handing in his party membership of 22 years in protest at its leader’s anti-Islamic rhetoric and support for jailed former English Defence League chief Tommy Robinson.

James Carver, who joined the party in 1996, called on Ukip to stop insulting Islam and embrace Muslim Brexiteers if it wanted to be relevant after Brexit next year. He exclusively told The Telegraph that he had reluctantly decided to resign because the party was going in the “wrong direction” under Mr Batten’s leadership.

“I haven’t left Ukip, Ukip’s left me,” said Mr Carver, who was elected in 2014 and will now sit as an independent MEP until Britain leaves the EU on 29 March 2019.

Mr Carver, who represents the West Midlands, said Mr Batten’s backing of Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, was “the straw that broke the camel’s back”.

Mr Batten, currently appearing on Channel 4 documentary Carry On Brussels, is an enthusiastic supporter of Robinson, who was jailed for 13 months for broadcasting an hour long tirade on Facebook outside a court, which it was feared would jeopardise a trial.

The Ukip leader, who replaced the humiliated Henry Bolton three months ago, was criticised in February this year for branding Islam “a death cult” and calling on Muslims to be asked to sign a document renouncing parts of the Quran.