Top Tory Sir James Cleverly has publicly slapped down his party’s chairman over a social media post comparing Reform UK to the Nazis. Kevin Hollinrake, the MP for Thirsk and Malton, made the comparison on social media on Sunday evening following the announcement of new Reform UK merchandise.

The new gold and black football shirts include a gold circular Reform UK insignia, which Mr Hollinrake compared to the gold and black Nazi supporter badges from the 1930s. While he deleted the tweet, he later re-shared the comparison and yesterday the Tory Party doubled down. This morning Sir James Cleverly fumed: “I don’t think that was a particularly good post.”

“I don’t think it made the point that I think he was trying to make. I think this was against the backdrop of Reform’s former leader in Wales basically being sent to prison for taking bribes from the Russian state to amplify Russian propaganda.

“It’s not what I would do, but I think the point that he was trying to make is that Reform as a party is riddled with scandal, and when confronted yesterday about this, Nigel Farage basically said, well, I’m not the police, implying that as party leader, he had no responsibility in policing the words and actions of the politicians within his own party.

“I think that is unacceptable as a party leader. But as I say, that’s not necessarily the thing that I would do. But I think that’s the point that Kevin was trying to make.”

Mr Cleverly is the second top Tory to publicly criticise Mr Hollinrake’s post, after former Home Secretary Suella Braverman branded it “wrong, irresponsible and highly counter-productive.”

In a furious tweet yesterday Ms Braverman fumed: “Let’s raise the level of debate: criticise the policies, even challenge the people or their actions… Kevin does not speak for me.”

Yesterday Kemi Badenoch refused to condemn her party chairman’s post, or apologise for it.

She told ITV: “I think they’re putting words into his mouth. He merely made a comparison between two things. He was being funny. I see Reform being abusive to lots of politicians all the time. They like to dish it, but they can’t take it.

“I think that he posted a link to a Wikipedia page. People may find it funny, they may not find it funny.

“It’s just a historical allusion – look who else did this. What’s really, really worrying the people out there is not what’s going on on Twitter, it’s what’s happening in the Budget on Wednesday – that’s where our focus is on.”

Speaking at a Reform rally in north Wales last night, Mr Farage fumed: “Not only is it insulting and wrong, but it’s actually inciteful and dangerous given the world we live in. Just think that’s exactly what they were saying about Charlie Kirk in the US. Shame on him!”