Ukip MP Douglas Carswell admits 'loyalty to all Eurosceptics' after bust-up

Ukip's only MP has admitted he has loyalties to people in other parties just a day after Nigel Farage claimed he still had ties to the Conservatives.

Douglas Carswell made the admission after he was accused by Mr Farage of having "residual loyalties" to his former party following a furious public bust-up with a Ukip donor which exposed deep divisions at the top of Ukip.

The Clacton MP insisted he would be loyal to any Eurosceptic as he called on the party to work with all anti-Brussels groups.

Mr Carswell stormed out of conference yesterday, claiming donor Arron Banks threatened to get him de-selected unless he backed the businessman's new Leave EU campaign group.

The former Tory instead pledged his loyalty to the separate Business For Britain, which has refused to sign up to the new umbrella organisation, leading Mr Banks to describe him as "borderline autistic".

In his speech at the party's gathering in Doncaster, Mr Carswell told supporters: "We must put our country first.

"This isn't a case of who's going to win democratic elections, this is about whether we remain a self-governing democracy at all.

"We must be prepared to work with anyone - left or right, politician or undecided, all backgrounds, all faiths, all colours, all people.

"There are good, honourable, patriotic members of all parties, we must work with them all.

"It's not enough to win by offering opposition to Brussels, our challenge is to show how Britain can prosper outside the EU.

"It's an enormous honour to have joined Ukip a year ago. I made many friends and have been incredibly warmly welcomed.

"Together we have got an enormous referendum battle ahead; let everything that we do be about winning it, let's do it."

Mr Farage turned up in the hall near the end of the MP's speech and the pair shook hands. But Mr Carswell failed to mention his leader once during his address on electoral reform and made a clear call for the party to reach out to different Eurosceptic groups.

He told Sky News: "I was asked to speak about electoral reform, I talked about change and I think it's unfair of you to try and read anything into it. In fact I have just been chatting to him right here now."

"I have a great deal of loyalty to people in all parties if they are Eurosceptic and I'm very loyal to Eurosceptics because that's how we need to win the referendum," he added.

Mr Carswell said he had kept Ukip informed about his involvement in the Business For Britain campaign group.

He added: "It's very important that, as is the party line, we work with any group that stands a realistic chance of getting designation and I'm doing that and it is very important that I continue to do that."