A senior Ukip politician has quit the party at the leader’s "growing fixation" with far-right campaigner Tommy Robinson.

MEP Patrick O’Flynn walked away firing a broadside at leader Gerard Batten for welcoming the English Defence League founder.

Former newspaper columnist Mr O’Flynn tweeted a statement saying: “Without any mandate from the membership or the party’s elected ruling body to go down this path, Gerard is transforming what UKIP stands for and offers to voters.

"Many longstanding party members have already left as a result.

"Today I am joining them because I have reached the sorry conclusion that UKIP under its current direction and at this decisive moment has become an impediment to the Brexit campaigning that I have energetically pursued for many years."

Last week UKIP leader Gerard Batten announced he had hired Tommy Robinson – real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon – as an advisor.

The controversial activist will advise Mr Batten on ‘rape gangs’ and prison reform.

Robinson was jailed for 13 months for contempt of court in relation to his activities filming people involved in a grooming case.

The sentence was later quashed and the case has been referred to the Attorney General.

Mr Batten said: "I have appointed Tommy Robinson to be a personal special adviser on two subjects which he has great knowledge.

"It is not necessary for him to be a party member in order to assist me in this role. I am looking forward to working with him."

Following the announcement Nigel Farage demanded a no confidence vote in UKIP’s "shameful" leader.

He said he was "appalled" with Gerard Batten’s "fixation" with the far-right activist and said he is "dragging us in a shameful direction".

"I will be writing to the NEC of the party today and urging that we have a vote of no confidence in Gerard Batten as leader, that we get rid of him," he told the BBC.

Mr O’Flynn says his former party’s links with the far right activist means it is not in a position to represent eurosceptic voters who see Theresa May’s deal as a betrayal.

"The key question in British politics now is which party are millions of sensible, moderate Brexit voters betrayed by establishment parties but wishing no tie-up with Tommy Robinson supposed to vote for?

"The answer, alas, is clearly not UKIP,” he said in a statement."

Alongside Suzanne Evans, Mr O’Flynn was one of the leading lights of Ukip under Nigel Farage’s leadership.

He stood in Cambridge at the 2015 general election where he came fifth, with 5.2% of the vote, only narrowly saving his deposit.

But since Mr Farage stood down

The former journalist has vowed to join the Social Democratic Party instead.

Patrick O’Flynn’s message in full

Since Gerard Batten became UKIP leader I have tried to use my influence to persuade him to maintain his focus on Brexit and abandon an apparent and growing fixation with Tommy Robinson.

Recently the UKIP NEC came up with what I regarded as a common-sense decision in regard to the leader’s wish to waive a ban on former BNP and EDL members joining the party in respect of Mr Robinson. It decided to kick the issue into the long grass, beyond the deadline for Brexit being settled.

Had Gerard followed the spirit of this decision it would have enabled us to concentrate on making a broad offer to Brexit voters disillusioned by the betrayal of Brexit by establishment parties. That would have enabled us to pile real and meaningful pressure on those parties, especially the Conservatives.

Instead, at this vital stage of the battle for Brexit, he has done the opposite, appointing Robinson as his policy adviser and announcing a plan for UKIP to be centrally involved in a mass demonstration being planned by Robinson on the issue of Brexit. This is despite the last two street demonstrations attended by Gerard ending up with some demonstrators engaging in very ugly scenes.

Without any mandate from the membership or the party’s elected ruling body to go down this path, Gerard is transforming what UKIP stands for and offers to voters. Many longstanding party members have already left as a result.

Today I am joining them because I have reached the sorry conclusion that UKIP under its current direction and at this decisive moment has become an impediment to the Brexit campaigning that I have energetically pursued for many years.

The key question in British politics now is which party are millions of sensible, moderate Brexit voters betrayed by establishment parties but wishing no tie-up with Tommy Robinson supposed to vote for? The answer, alas, is clearly not UKIP.

So, like many on the communitarian wing of the party, I have decided to join the resurgent SDP, which campaigned for Brexit during the referendum and espouses broad and moderate pro-nation state political values that I – and I believe many of our voters from 2014 – will be delighted to endorse.

This will, I believe, enable me in my remaining time as an MEP to make a bigger contribution to the cause I was elected to pursue and have devoted my time to since taking the Daily Express to a pro-Brexit position back in 2010.

The mission of restoring the United Kingdom to the ranks of sovereign and independent countries is at a critical juncture, facing a massive establishment effort to derail it. I wish all Brexit campaigners the very best of British in the vital months ahead.

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