FORMER UKIP leader Henry Bolton has been denied membership of the Conservative Party, casting doubt on Rishi Sunak’s claim that it is a “broad church” that would accept Nigel Farage as a member.

Bolton, who took over as UKIP leader from Farage for six months in 2017, said he was told in November that his application to join the Tories had been vetoed by party chairman Richard Holden.

He told GB News: “I have an extensive track record in border management and I felt that I could use my skills, my political knowledge, my political experience, and my technical experience in trying to deal with borders at a strategic level, to try and help the Conservative Party.

“I think the Conservative Party are the only people at the moment who can do that. The Conservative Party are in government, if there’s an election in October next year, we’re 9-10 months away, so there is time to make an impact should the party wish to.

“Now, having not been a member of any political party since 2018, I felt that there should not be a problem. I am a dyed in the wool conservative.”

In a discussion with Tom Harwood and Emily Carver, he continued: “I think what this says quite clearly is that what Rishi Sunak said to Christopher Hope, that the Conservative Party’s a broad church, is for the birds.

“And I think one of the reasons he’s been saying that is because he has a vote coming up on the Rwanda bill and he is trying to appease the centre right, if you like, the real conservatives in the Conservative Party over that vote, and I think some people want to believe him.

“Well, they can’t. It is not a broad church. It is not a Conservative Party under its present leadership and the way it’s constituted.

“The leadership of the Conservative Party needs to change, the constitution of the Conservative Party needs to change.”

He added: “I’m going to continue to fight for conservative politics, social cultural conservatism in the United Kingdom, and for furthering the interests of the United Kingdom…

“But I think it’s important also to note, because we’re talking about democracy, that there is a problem with the Conservative Party.

“Already before this, of course this is minor in comparison, that they appointed a leader of the Conservative Party without even referring to its members. The constitution of the Conservative Party needs to change as well.”