Nigel Farage’s Brexit Party is already two thirds the size of the Tories with 85,000 members

NIGEL Farage’s Brexit Party has already attracted 85,000 members – two thirds the size of the Conservative party.

The huge swell of grassroots support has raised £2 million from the £25 subscription fees ahead of the European elections.

Nigel Farage's Brexit party is growing in popularity with 85,000 members already — Nigel Farage’s Brexit party is growing in popularity with 85,000 members already

The party, which was only formed earlier this year, is way ahead in the polls for the European elections – due to take place on May 23 unless a Brexit deal can be passed by the Commons beforehand.

The latest YouGov poll puts the Brexit Party on 30 per cent, 9 points of second-placed Labour, with the Tories trailing in third-place on 13 per cent, the Lib Dems on 10 per cent, the Greens and the Change UK party on 9 per cent each and Ukip bottom on 4 per cent.

But Mr Farage was condemned for failing to reveal the party’s mystery donor who gave £100,000.

He said the media would “hound” the unknown donor if he revealed his name, but said all the party’s donations would be declared at the end of July.

‘FINAL BETRAYAL’

Asked who funds the Brexit Party, Mr Farage told Sky News: “Amazing, so just yesterday we had 85,000 registered supporters, all paying £25.

“Work it out, we’ve raised getting on for £2 million through individual people joining through our website and I can’t think that any other party in the UK has ever raised money like that.

Mr Farage also warned that a soft-Brexit stitch-up between the Tories and Labour would signal the “final betrayal” of the 17.4 million Leave voters.

The former Ukip leader challenged Jeremy Corbyn to a televised debate ahead of the Euro elections so he can clear up his party’s “confused” message on Brexit.

Meanwhile Jacob Rees-Mogg’s younger sister Annunziata is considering standing for the Brexit Party in the crunch Peterborough by-election next month.

The Tory defector is already standing for the Brexit Party in the European elections in the East Midlands region.

Mr Farage believes his party can win the Peterborough by-election – triggered by the ousting of disgraced MP Fiona Onasanya last week – but told The Sun that he is too busy to stand himself.

Ms Rees-Mogg, 40, stood as a Tory parliamentary candidate in the 2010 General Election and famously David Cameron tried to get her to change her name to ‘Nancy’ to make her sound less posh.