Brexit campaign group Leave EU embroiled in row over 'antisemitic' tweet

Conservative MP Maria Caulfield has contacted her lawyer over the 'deeply offensive' poster

Arron Banks is one of the co-founders of EU and its most recognisable face (AFP)

Brexit campaign group Leave.EU has become embroiled in a row over allegations of antisemitism in its promotional materials.

Conservative MP Maria Caulfield has contacted her lawyer over the “deeply offensive” campaign poster, which features a shadowy image of billionaire financier George Soros, and quotes her as saying the “powerful elite mocks the rest of us".

Ms Caulfield, a vocal Brexiteer, said Leave.EU did not have her permission to use the quotes or her image, which she said was “deeply offensive", especially as her family is Jewish.

However Leave.EU has refused to take down the image and denounced claims of antisemitism as an attempt by pro-EU critics to silence them.

The row stems from a tweet posted by Ms Caulfield, following a dramatic day in parliament, where MPs inflicted three defeats on the government over Brexit.

The Lewes MP said: “Coming from a non political background I naively thought being a MP was about making a difference to people’s lives. Today I saw the reality.

“Not sure there is even democracy in this country anymore. The powerful elite seem to know best and openly mock the rest of us.”

Leave.EU - a campaign group backed by former Ukip leader Nigel Farage and funded by Arron Banks - superimposed her words onto an image with Mr Soros’ face in the background, despite the fact her comments do not refer explicitly to him.

It said: “17.4m people voted leave the European Union. More than two years later we're still in the EU and there's a concerted effort to thwart the will of the people. If Brexit is not delivered, we can no longer pretend we're living in a democracy…”

Mr Soros attracted the ire of Brexiteers when he donated some £400,000 to pro-EU organisation Best for Britain earlier this year through his Open Society Foundation.

Foreign affairs committee chairman Tom Tughendhat tweeted: “There is no way Maria Caulfield would endorse this.

“There is no one more decent or caring in parliament and this image suggesting her support for antisemitic views is a disgraceful slur.”

Ms Caulfield said she had asked for it to be removed and she “completely denounced” the tweet, adding: “Especially as my family are Jewish, [it] could not be more hurtful.”

However Leave.EU’s Andy Wigmore told The Independent that the post would not be taken down.

He said: “She said those words and it’s a well known fact Soros is funding the anti-Brexit, Remain and second referendum campaign - this has nothing to do with being Jewish, which is just a complete load of rubbish and utterly absurd that Remain supporters trot out antisemitism to deflect from the fact about what he is doing.

“Being Jewish has nothing to do with Soros' activities."

It comes after the National Crime Agency launched a probe into suspicions of criminal offences committed by Mr Banks and Leave.EU during the Brexit referendum. Mr Banks said the allegations were "ludicrous".

Leave.EU has already been fined £70,000 by the Electoral Commission over spending irregularities during the referendum.