‘I regret unleashing Brexit demons’ says Banks

The extraordinary U-turn came after the National Crime Agency launched an investigation into the source of payments worth £8 million made during the referendum.

But Banks has insisted there is ‘no Russian money and no interference’ after a probe was launched into ‘suspected criminal offences’ .

The NCA got involved after the elections watchdog said it had reasonable grounds to suspect Banks was not the true source of the cash.

But the businessman told The Andrew Marr Show: ‘There was no Russian money and no interference of any type. I want to be absolutely clear about that.

https://twitter.com/OFOCBrexit/status/1059035075680067584

‘The money came from Rock Services which was a UK limited company, it was generated out of insurance business written in the UK.

‘Contrary to some of the press reports in the FT and other Remain-leaning publications, we insure nearly half a million customers a year – the size of Manchester.

‘We turn over £250 million of premiums, it’s a sizeable business.’

Co-founder of Leave.EU Banks said Rock Services has ‘all sorts of revenues’ but did not detail them.

And, responding to a a report in the Sunday Times that he would back Remain if the 2016 referendum were re-run, he added: ‘What I said was that the corruption I have seen in British politics, the sewer that exists and the disgraceful behaviour of the government over what they are doing with Brexit and how they are selling out, means that if I had my time again I think we would have been better to probably remain and not unleash these demons.’