The Brexit Party has removed the whip from a former business chief after accusing him of "undermining" Nigel Farage's strategy.
John Longworth shot to fame in 2016 after quitting as director general of the British Chamber of Commerce to back Brexit .
Since then he had become an elected Brexit Party MEP in Brussels.
But today Nigel Farage stripped Mr Longworth of his party status for criticising his policy.
Mr Longworth complained last month that Farage was wrong to put up candidates in hundreds of seats where they could split the Brexiteer vote with the Tories and let Labour win.
He said: "The Brexit Party should focus its efforts on a limited number of constituencies which it thinks it can win and on constituencies where it can split the Labour vote.
"At this late hour I call upon all [Conservative and Brexit Party candidates] in Leave-voting constituencies to meet and decide who will be the most popular and allow the weaker one to stand aside.
"If the national parties can’t agree, let’s do this locally. In return for this selfless act the Conservatives should reciprocate in kind."
Today the party's chief whip and MEP Brian Monteith confirmed the whip had been removed.
He said in a statement sent to the media: "We regret having to remove the whip but we have been left with no alternative after John Longworth repeatedly undermined the party's Brexit strategy over the last few months.
"The Brexit Party shall not be deflected from, or undermined in, its campaign to win Labour seats.
"We are receiving a great reception from disenchanted Labour voters and have believe we have a good chance of winning in many seats."
