TORY MP Jacob Rees-Mogg has said he is more worried by the upstart Brexit Party than he is by the resignation of a former senior Welsh Conservative from Boris Johnson’s government.

The newly appointed leader of the House of Commons hit the campaign trail in the Brecon and Radnorshire by-election in support of Conservative candidate Chris Davies.

Should the Conservative lose the seat in this coming Thursday’s by-election new Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s majority would be cut to just one.

The Conservatives are being squeezed from both sides in the by-election with the pro remain Liberal Democrats, who are considered the favourites, and the Brexit Party, which advocates leaving the European Union without a deal, testing the governing party over Britain’s protracted withdrawal from the EU.

New PM Mr Johnson has said he is committed to Britain leaving the EU on October 31 with or without a deal despite warnings that would damage British industry, with Welsh agriculture that is the most significant industry in Brecon and Radnorshire likely to be one of the hardest hit.

Last night former Welsh Conservative leader Lord Nick Bourne quit as a minister at the Wales Office and at the Housing Communities and Local Government department as he said he could not accept the possibility of a no-deal Brexit.

The former Assembly Member for Mid and West Wales said he had resigned "for the first time in my life".

But asked by The Brecon & Radnor Express if he was worried to be losing the support of moderate Conservatives Mr Rees-Mogg replied: "I’m much more worried about the fact that we lost 67% of our vote to the Brexit Party in the European Elections."

Asked if he was worried about the Nigel Farage fronted party, whose candidate is Des Parkinson, in the by-election, Mr Rees-Mogg replied: "All Brexiteers should vote for Chris."

The Brexit Party has maintained it is the best option for "leavers" at the by-election.

The Somerset MP took a short tour of Crickhowell town centre with Mr Davies.

Party supporters greeted Mr Rees-Mogg when he arrived at the Bear Hotel with some asking him to sign copies of this morning’s Daily Telegraph in which he is featured on the front page challenging Conservative rebels to revoke Article 50 if they want to stop Britain from leaving the EU.

Mr Rees Mogg, who was accompanied by his young son who wore a matching tweed jacket but with an added ’Back Boris’ badge, was warmly greeted during his Saturday afternoon stroll.

But with the town a popular tourist destination many of the shoppers who were surprised at the high profile MP’s presence won’t be eligible to vote in this Thursday’s poll.

Trefor Jones shook the hand of the MP who is often characterised as the ’member for the 18th century’ a reputation that had only been enhanced overnight when it was revealed he had instructed staff in his new office to use imperial measurements and refer to "non-titled" males as "esquire".

The 72-year-old from Anglesey said: "I recognised the face. He’s a character. I’m not necessarily a Conservative, rather the opposite, but we all believe in something. I think it (the by-election) is going to be close."

Ken Jayne, 66, of Oakdale, near Blackwood, also shook Mr Rees-Mogg’s hand: "It’s nice to see them around and I hope they have some success here I vote Conservative, even though I live in a Labour dominated area. I hope it goes well for them."

Lisa Kunwar, of Morden, south London, was left-open mouthed when she spotted the MP casually walking down the High Street and quickly realised why when she turned to her family and said it would be because of the by-election.

But she said hadn’t been impressed to see the high-profile MP: "I don’t like Jacob Rees-Mogg because he’s right wing."

But the 49-year-old said she didn’t wish to confront him: "What difference would it make me saying something? For me he’s the dark side of the Tory party. Unfortunately it looks like people around here quite like him."

Mrs Kumar said she was aware of the by-election: "It looks to me like a Conservative/Liberal Democrat area."

Novelist and screenwriter Jeff Galvin, of Crickhowell, said he wasn’t impressed at seeing the committed Brexiteer: "They are bringing people like him here because they can’t afford to lose."

He said he has lost faith in Britain’s political leadership: "Boris Johnson wants to take us out (of the EU) and Jeremy Corbyn wants to take us back to the days of Arthur Scargill. Where are the leaders?"

The by-election has been called after Mr Davies, who has represented Brecon and Radnorshire since 2015, pleaded guilty to submitting a false expenses claim having created two false invoices to split the £700 costs of photographs, he was entitled to claim for, across two expense accounts. He lost his seat after just over 10,000 constituents signed a recall petition.

Mr Rees-Mogg referred to Mr Davies as a member of his pro-Brexit European Research Group (ERG) of Conservative MPs when talking to supporters.