Colourful MP and businessman Clive Palmer has apologised to Queensland voters for losing control over a former Palmer United Party senator and for his reduced influence in Federal Parliament.

According to News Corp, the Palmer United Party Leader conceded his party was no longer influential in the Senate after the departure of Senator Glenn Lazarus and independent Tasmanian Senator Jacqui Lambie.

Mr Palmer’s party has started seeking candidates for the next election and he warned potential applicants they will be forced to pay back any money spent on their campaign if they win a seat and later leave the party, the Courier Mail.

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Mr Palmer attacked his former ally in the letter sent out to voters.

He said in the letter he wanted to “apologise to all voters in Queensland for the fact that our Queensland Senator, elected only because of Palmer United Party votes, has let you down by withdrawing from the political battlefield when it got too hot for him.”

“We had planned as a team to use our balance of power in the Senate to bring about real change for Queensland but Glenn Lazarus put an end to that and betrayed all those who voted for our party,” Mr Palmer said in the letter.

Mr Lazarus’ new party was last week registered by the Australian Electoral Commission.

Ms Lambie is registered as an independent in Tasmania, and wants to run candidates in every state.

Mr Palmer was elected to the House of Representatives for the Fairfax, Queensland electorate in 2013.

Western Australian Senator Dio Wang is the only PUP representative who remains in the upper house.

In June, Mr Palmer said federal politicians should only be allowed to serve two terms, saying he will not contest the election after next.

He said he believed that career politicians should be eliminated.