THE chairman of Pudsey Conservative Association has resigned after Boris Johnson's appointment as Conservative Leader - branding him a "danger to our country".

Jason Aldiss, who has served the party for almost a quarter of a century, tendered his resignation along with his membership.

In a letter to Conservative Party Chairman Brandon Lewis, he said: "Playing a part in wrestling control of Leeds City Council from Labour in 2004 was a high point. I took great pride in Stuart Andrew gaining the Pudsey Parliamentary seat in 2010, and holding on in 2015 and 2017. So too in winning all three Pudsey Ward seats for the Conservatives.

"However, my love for my country vastly supersedes my loyalty to my Party. I did not believe in Brexit and campaigned against it."

Dr Aldiss said: "Yesterday’s leadership election result, which saw more than two thirds of Party Members vote for Mr Johnson, confirmed that this is no longer the Party I joined in 1995.

"The hardline Brexiteers in Conservative ranks, hellbent on a no-deal departure, claim to be patriots. I see nothing patriotic about willingly risking untold damage to our economy, to jobs and to our global standing for decades to come.

"The country desperately needs a credible Conservative prime minister leading a functional Government in the interest of the entire United Kingdom. By electing Mr Johnson, the Party has effectively given up on Scotland, handed swathes of seats to the Liberal Democrats in the south of England and left moderate Tory voters in the north of England feeling disenfranchised."

The chairman felt he had "no option but to resign" after what he described as the final insult with Mr Johnson's election.

He said: “Mr Johnson and his band of power-hungry saboteurs in the Parliamentary Party claim he is the only Conservative who can keep Jeremy Corbyn out of Downing Street. I wholeheartedly disagree.

“Mr Corbyn is indeed a danger to our country. He is also unelectable. I would say precisely the same about Mr Johnson."

Jane Aitchison, Labour candidate for Pudsey at the next General Election, responded by saying the political act is "a damning indictment of the threat" posed by Mr Johnson.

She said: “The Tories think Johnson will let down the country and in supporting him Stuart Andrew has let down the people of Pudsey.

""With the backing of Pudsey MP Stuart Andrew, Boris Johnson has become prime minister by promising tax cuts for the richest, presenting himself as the bankers’ best friend, and pushing for a damaging No Deal Brexit.

“Their No Deal would mean job cuts, higher prices in the shops, and risk our NHS being sold off to US corporations in a sweetheart deal with Donald Trump. "

Meanwhile Stuart Andrew, MP for Pudsey, Horsforth and Aireborough, said: “I would like to thank Jason for all the work he has done for the party and for me personally.

"The leadership election was a major democratic process for the party and two thirds elected Boris Johnson to be our Leader. Everyone else I have spoken to has said that now is time to unite and get on with the job of Government and that is precisely what I intend to do".