On Tuesday, Proctor said the highly damaging allegations from Fay appeared to have been repeated at length by Goldsmith and should now be withdrawn because Fay was an unreliable witness. “I used to own a shop in Richmond-upon-Thames and it would often be visited by Professor Teddy Goldsmith.

“He would not have wished to have seen his nephew smearing me and a former cabinet minister in his own party. Zac Goldsmith is a disloyal Conservative. He should consider his position as mayoral candidate for London,” he said.