Arron Banks flouted an agreement to suspend Brexit campaigning after the murder of Labour MP Jo Cox, according to an investigation by Channel 4 News.

Nigel Farage’s ally ordered Leave.EU team to “up the spend” on Facebook and “press it harder”, emails obtained by the programme reveal – the morning after the killing that shocked the nation.

Channel 4 said the emails also showed a Leave.EU press officer drafted a press release accusing the media of politicising Ms Cox’s murder for the Remain side, but in the name of the Labour Leave campaign group.

Arron Banks approved the release – reading “blackmailing Brexiteers to tone down their campaign is a new low” – stating “much better for them to do it,” the programme reported.

Alison McGovern, a Labour MP told Channel 4 News: “It’s horrific, watching that makes me feel sick – the day Jo was killed was one of the worst days of my life, and to think a discussion was going on makes me deeply upset.”

Her colleague Jo Stevens said: “It’s horrible, it’s absolutely horrible, and they didn’t abide by the agreement to stop campaigning either, we know that, they carried on.

“And you know, if anything, they used that situation for their own ends. That just tells me it was deliberate, and to do it in response to a voice of reason inside their own camp saying ‘don’t do it’, they’d stoop to anything.”

Mr Banks, the self-styled “bad boy of Brexit” told Channel 4 News he was skiing in Italy and unable to respond to the allegations.

How Brexit will affect your travel to Europe Show all 14 1 /14 How Brexit will affect your travel to Europe How Brexit will affect your travel to Europe Passports British passports that expire after 29 March 2019 will continue to be valid as UK travel documents, but will lose the power that comes with being a European Union passport – notably the right of free movement within the EU27. UK passports issued from 30 March 2019 will have the words “European Union” removed from the cover and the first page (along with the translations into Welsh and Gaelic). But they will still be burgundy. By October 2019, new British passports will have dark blue covers Getty How Brexit will affect your travel to Europe Pets You will still be able to travel to the EU with your pet after Brexit, but it could well get more complicated depending on the status that the European Union decide to apply. 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But it adds that if the UK is given unlisted, third-country status, “owners who wish to travel with their pets from the UK to EU nations will need to discuss their specific preparations and requirements with an Official Veterinarian at least four months prior to their desired travel date AFP/Getty How Brexit will affect your travel to Europe Eurotunnel/Eurostar The Treaty of Canterbury between the UK and France governs the Channel Tunnel link and operations will continue – subject to any local disruption at Folkestone and/or Calais AFP/Getty How Brexit will affect your travel to Europe Driving Motorists, whether taking their own cars or hiring abroad, are likely to need to obtain an International Driving Permit or two; different EU countries are signed up to different treaties, so for a trip embracing Spain and France you would need both types. These are currently sold from a limited number of Post Offices, but the government intends to make them widely available. 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“The length and sheer number of details in the letter means that it will take 7 days to respond to your request,” he said, later cutting that to 5 days, the programme said.

Ms Cox, the MP for Batley and Spen, in West Yorkshire died after being shot and stabbed multiple times ahead of a constituency surgery, one week before the June 2016 referendum, by far-right activist Thomas Mair.

Brexit campaigners agreed that evening to suspend their activities in her honour, a pause that lasted for three days.

But the emails obtained by Channel 4 showed that, the morning after the killing, Mr Banks emailed Liz Bilney, the chief executive of Leave.EU and other staff, saying: “Keep pumping the McKenna video” and “up the Spend A”.

Ms Bilney replied: “Yes that’s starting to get traction now and with paid advertising and no active campaigning could get a lot of take up today.” Mr Banks then said: “Exactly - press it harder.”

He added later: “Boost it more. The ban is on new stuff and activity not the sponsored page.”

The accusation of media politicisation triggered a backlash so that Labour Leave condemned the statement – claiming it had been issued falsely in its name.

The programme also reported that Labour Leave is under investigation by the Electoral Commission but John Mills, who ran it, insisted it was not controlled or directed by Leave.EU.