A leading Tory donor says that he and other benefactors angry at Theresa May’s handling of Brexit are bypassing party HQ and giving directly to MPs who oppose the prime minister’s deal.

Alexander Temerko, a Ukraine-born businessman who has donated more than £1 million to the Conservatives, said that Remainers and Brexiteers were frustrated at Mrs May’s leadership and lack of progress and that she had “alienated” donors.

Mr Temerko, a Remainer, said that he had given tens of thousands of pounds in the past few months “not to CCHQ but to associations and MPs”.

“Who is suffering? CCHQ. A lot of donors now prefer to support individual MPs not CCHQ,” he said.

“Remainers are disappointed about a lot of uncertainty, Brexiteers are disappointed because Brexit has not happened. She should be much more careful with donors. She has alienated them.”