Brexit news: a surge in Tory membership could be warning to Remainers in the party (Image: GETTY)
Tens of thousands of new members have signed up to join the Tories over the last year, dramatically increasing the electorate that will choose Theresa May’s successor. The Tories now have more than 160,000 paid-up backers, which represents an increase of almost a third since March 2018, according to The Sunday Telegraph. The rise was partly down to a recruitment drive led by party chair, Brandon Lewis, who has held the position since January 2018.
The rapid swelling of the electorate is likely to fuel speculation the party is being “flooded” by hardline Brexiteers - a move likely to concern Remainer “moderates” within the party.
People’s Vote cheerleader Anna Soubry, a former Tory minister who quit the party over Brexit, claimed earlier this year Conservative associations had been “infiltrated” by former Ukip activists, the party previously led by Nigel Farage, in what she termed “purple momentum”.
She claimed: “Overwhelmingly the majority of associations are being infiltrated by nationally orchestrated entryism, blatantly designed to remove rebel MPs who they label traitors.”
Ms Soubry, now a Change UK MP, said her values were “no longer welcome in the Conservative Party”.
READ MORE: Nigel Farage: You CANNOT trust Boris Johnson with Brexit
Newspaper coverage of Theresa May's emotional resignation announcement (Image: GETTY)
Staunch Remainer Dominic Grieve in March lost a vote of no-confidence by his own constituents in a move some saw as evidence of Ms Soubry's warnings.
But a member of her association rubbished the
