A former UKIP candidate has hit out at claims that he organised a move to oust Beaconsfield MP Dominic Grieve in an “orchestrated campaign”.

Last Friday night (March 29), Beaconsfield Conservatives voted by 182 to 131 against a motion of confidence in Mr Grieve at their annual general meeting at Crowne Plaza Gerrards Cross.

Theatre producer Jon Conway, who had been readmitted to the party after standing for UKIP in Beaconsfield in the 2017 General Election, said Mr Grieve's “unprecedented defeat” was “not UKIP entry-ism”.

He said: “I am the only single local activist to have swapped parties having previously voted Tory for 30 years. This was not a one-man effort, or some backroom takeover.

“The unprecedented defeat of Dominic Grieve in a confidence vote by his constituency has dealt a massive warning to all MP’s who do not fulfill their election promises and fail to understand they represent the voters.

“Dominic Grieve wants a second vote on the referendum but he lost a first vote in his constituency. He said he would vote against the government in a motion of confidence if it supported leaving the EU or had a leader he did not approve of.

“We respect and thank Dominic Grieve for his previous work as our MP, but he has been divisive, disloyal and so outspoken that an astonishing one third of the 1,100 membership attended and voted ‘no confidence’ in Grieve by 60-40, right after he had told the meeting that opinion polls put local support for his views at 58 per cent.”

Mr Grieve said the confidence motion was moved by the constituency party officers after an attempt to table a motion of no confidence was ruled out of order.

He said the move had been organised by Mr Conway, who added: “I believe there could now be a June election and it is clear Dominic Grieve does not represent the majority view.

“The local association voted for Jackson Ng as new chairman with a new deputy, and as predicted, they won a landslide victory.

“It will now be up to them to carry out their promise to listen to members and we expect a new candidate to be selected.”