Sunak under pressure to block ex-Ukip deputy from potential Tory candidacy

Exclusive: David Campbell Bannerman, who wants to stand for South Norfolk, launched body that attacked privileges committee

Rishi Sunak is under pressure from Conservative MPs to “kick off” a controversial rightwing politician from the party’s approved candidates’ list after his grassroots organisation campaigned to deselect Tory MPs and attacked the integrity of the privileges committee inquiry into Boris Johnson.

David Campbell Bannerman, a former deputy leader of the UK Independence party (Ukip) who defected back to the Tories in 2011, has said he wants to stand for the safe South Norfolk constituency, where the party has a majority of 36,000.