Leave campaigner Andy Wigmore has sparked a race row after saying Remainer Femi Oluwole “looks like Diane Abbott.”
The Leave.EU communications director lashed out on social media after Mr Oluwole tweeted statistics about a no-deal Brexit.
The Our Future Our Choice spokesman tweeted: “If anyone wants to explain to me how No-Deal parties getting 44.5% of the vote and 2nd Referendum parties getting 54.5% of the vote somehow translates to a mandate for leaving the EU on No-Deal, I'd really appreciate it. My head hurts.”
But Mr Wigmore, who is a close friend of Nigel Farage, responded: “Have you eaten Diane Abbott Femi? You sound like her, you have a grasp of numbers second only to her AND you even look like her, although you have much more of glowing complexion.”
Mr Oluwole hit back, saying it was “ridiculous” that Nigel Farage could “unleash the racism of Leave.EU, then just leave both, form a new party and we've just swallowed it like he's no longer racist.”
He added: “His strategy has all the sophistication of a child thinking he's invisible by covering his own eyes!”
Mr Wigmore has long been an associate of the Brexit Party leader and businessman Aaron Banks, who helped fund the Leave.EU campaign.
In a separate tweet, he claimed to be meeting Donald Trump during the President’s state visit to the UK next week with other pro-Brexit campaigners.
Supporters who backed Mr Oluwole included Change UK MP Anna Soubry, who tweeted: “Solidarity with my friend Femi. No one should have to put up with this revolting racist abuse.
“Wigmore, his mate Farage et al do not represent the majority of British people & it’s time we stood up to them beginning with reporting this to Twitter & the police #notinmyname”
Many people responded to Mr Wigmore’s tweet saying they had reported his “grotesque racism” and branding the tweet “disgusting.”
