Now a Tory MP calls his own party 'swivel-eyed' for obsessing about Europe as row over Cameron's leadership intensifies

Former minister Gary Streeter said he recognised the glint in the 'swivel-eyes' of fellow Tories demanding Britain leave Europe

A Tory MP has branded members of his own party ‘swivel-eyed’ in a fresh escalation of the row over David Cameron’s leadership.

Gary Streeter, a former minister who served in in the dying days of John Major’s government, said he had seen ‘once more the familiar glint in the swivelled-eyes of the purists’ who are again risking electoral defeat by obsessing about Europe.

It comes just days after revelations that a senior member of Mr Cameron’s called activists ‘mad, swivel-eyed loons’ sparked a crisis for the leadership.

Newsnight presenter Jeremy Paxman entered the row last night, claiming he too had heard senior Tories describe their activists as ‘swivel-eyed’.

The Prime Minister last night wrote to grassroots members to insist he would not tolerate such criticism of fellow Conservatives.

In his email, Mr Cameron said: ‘We have been together through good times and bad. This is more than a working relationship; it is a deep and lasting friendship.’

Referring to reports that Tory co-chairman Lord Feldman – a tennis partner of Mr Cameron – had insulted them, he added: ‘I am proud to lead this party. I am proud of what you do. And I would never have around me those who sneered or thought otherwise.’

But Mr Streeter took aim at fellow Tories demanding a tougher line on Europe, even though it is ‘well down the list’ of priorities for most voters.

Drawing parallels with the demise of the Major government, he said last week’s revolt among Tory MPs over the absence of an in-out EU referendum in the Queen’s Speech ‘was like being transported back into the 1990s when Conservative MPs were running around in circles over the Maastricht Treaty’.

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In an article for the Western Morning News he added: ‘Over the amendment to the Queen's Speech on Wednesday I recognised once more the familiar glint in the swivelled-eyes of the purists who are prepared to sacrifice all to get Britain out of Europe.

‘No matter that we wreck our chances of winning next time so long as we get the right policy: a policy that presumably we can contemplate lamely in opposition as we watch a Labour-led government bend the knee to Brussels.’

He went on to hail Mr Cameron as ‘the smartest leader I have served under in 21 years’.

The comments are likely to fuel the divisions in the Tory party, after Mr Cameron was last night forced to rely on Labour support to rescue his plans to legalise gay marriage.

David Cameron, pictured leaving Tory party headquarters in Millbank yesterday, is under fresh pressure to repair party relations after Newsnight presenter Jeremy Paxman said he had heard senior Tories dismissing activists as 'loons'

Tory MP Brian Binley today said the gap between David Cameron and his party was growing.

He told BBC Radio 4: ‘The trouble is, he has done a few things the party in the country, overall, didn’t want him to do.

‘He may believe in them, but we are talking about the gap between himself and the party. I think it is a growing gap.

‘I think it can be put right and I think David Cameron is listening as proved by the fact that actions are now being taken, so that pleases me.’

In the wake of last week’s European rebellion, the Prime Minister claimed the party was united behind his policy to renegotiate Britain’s membership of the EU before holding an in-out referendum.

Tory party co-chairman Lord Feldman has denied calling activists 'mad, swivel-eyed loons' but the row refuses to go away

But the party was stunned on Saturday by reports that a close friend of Mr Cameron had dismissed local activists as mad.

The senior Tory said Mr Cameron was unconcerned by the prospect of further rebellions over Europe and gay marriage.

'It's fine - there's really no problem,' he said. 'The MPs just have to do it because the associations tell them to do it, and the associations are all mad, swivel-eyed loons.'

Within hours Lord Feldman issued a statement denying he made the comment, and yesterday the Conservative party board rejected calls from Mr Binley for an investigation into the remarks.

But speaking last night Mr Paxman said that he had heard top level Tories using the term to describe local party members.

Interviewing a Tory activist Mr Paxman said: ‘What about this swivel-eyed loon[s]…that such language can be used by people near the centre of the party about people who get the party elected?

‘I have heard senior members of your party talking about local activists in those terms.’