Ukip donor Arron Banks calls MP Douglas Carswell a 'liar'

Major Ukip donor Arron Banks has hit out at the party's only MP, calling him a liar, after he denied that he was looking to defect to the Conservative Party.

Douglas Carswell was initially accused by Banks of giving data from South Thanet to the Tories on Twitter.

Rebutting the claim on ITV's Peston on Sunday after he was directly asked about the accusation, he said it was "utter nonsense", saying he had been blamed for multiple things he hadn't done.

He told Peston that since the referendum he'd been "walking on sunshine" because Leave won, and couldn't understand why other Ukip members and donors were "so cross".

"I'm not rejoining the Conservatives. I'm not really a Conservative. I like change, I want change," he explained.

"The Conservative party is doing the right thing now, but they're only doing it because they're forced to, that's the trouble with the Conservative party."

Asked if he would fight the next election as a Ukip candidate, he said "absolutely."

Banks fired back on Twitter, accusing the MP of being a "liar".

The feud between the party's only MP and the rest of the party has continued unabated - last month Banks said he would withdraw funding if he is not made chairman, saying "dullard" Carswell should leave the party.