Rishi Sunak refused to rule out Nigel Farage being welcomed into the Conservatives. 

The Prime Minister was asked twice if he would allow the former Ukip leader and I'm A Celebrity campmate into his party. 

He was also asked to explain why he is allowing Liz Truss to stand as a Tory candidate following a number of controversial appearances at an event in the US.

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Speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Maryland, the former prime minister claimed her brief time in No 10 had been hobbled by the “deep state”, and blamed transgender and environmental activists in the civil service.

She also appeared alongside Steve Bannon and did not criticise him when he described the founder of the far-right English Defence League, Tommy Robinson as a “hero”.

The Herald: Tommy Robinson is led away by police officers as people take part in a march against antisemitism organised by the volunteer-led charity Campaign Against Antisemitism at the Royal Courts of Justice in London (Jordan Pettitt/PA)

During Wednesday’s Prime Minister’s Questions, Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer said Robison was a "right wing thug" and suggested the Tories had now become the “political wing of the Flat Earth Society”.

He said Ms Truss, in “search of fame and wealth” had “taken to slagging off Britain at every opportunity.”

“She claimed that as Prime Minister she was sabotaged by the deep state. She also remained silent as Tommy Robinson, that right-wing thug, was described as a hero. Why is he allowing her to stand as a Tory MP at the next election?”

Mr Sunak replied: “I don’t believe a single member of this House supports Tommy Robinson. But if he wants to talk about former leaders and predecessors, the whole country knows his record because he sat there while antisemitism ran rife in his party and not once but twice backed a man who called Hamas friends.”

He said other members of the current shadow cabinet refused to back former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, but Sir Keir had given him his full throated support “because he’s spineless, hopeless and utterly shameless.”

Sir Keir then asked if Nigel Farage would be joining the Tories. That follows Ms Truss describing him as the “man to restore the Tory party”.

Mr Sunak did not answer. He replied: “In our party we have a proud tradition of diversity and accepting everyone from every background, it is a proud record that puts Labour to shame.

“This is the party that delivered the first Jewish prime minister, the first female Prime Minister, the first black chancellor, the first Muslim home secretary and is now led by the first British-Asian Prime Minister.

“While it seems he can only champion men from north London, it’s the Conservatives who represent modern Britain.”

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In his final question, the Labour leader said: “The truth is these are no longer the Tories your parents voted for and the public can see it.

“The Prime Minister has lost control of his party to the hordes of malcontents, the tin-foil-hat brigade over there, the extremists who wrecked the economy, all lining up to undermine him, humiliate him and eventually to get rid of him.

“When will he ever stand up to them, and end the pathetic spectacle of a Tory Party that used to try and beat Nigel Farage now giving up and dancing to his tune instead?”

Mr Sunak pointed to the by-election campaign in Rochdale where Labour pulled support for its candidate Azhar Ali after reports emerged that he had blamed “people in the media from certain Jewish quarters” for the suspension of a pro-Palestinian MP.

Two of the other candidates are also ex-Labour MPs.

He said: “Utterly shameless from someone who stood by while antisemitism ran rife in his party, oversaw the appalling situation in Rochdale and twice backed the (Jeremy Corbyn), and in the last few weeks we have seen Members of Parliaments’ homes surrounded, their events disrupted, council meetings threatened, and just last week we saw the very rules that govern this place abused because of intimidation.

“While he might want to bend to mob rule, we will face down the extremists and stand up for British values.”

It was an exceptionally rowdy session of Prime Minister’s Questions, with the Speaker, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, unusually subdued.

He is facing his own crisis with 91 MPs backing a motion expressing no confidence in him.