Lucy Allan MP: I was threatened with withdrawal of the whip for praising Brexit Party candidates
Telford' Conservative MP Lucy Allan has revealed she was threatened with having the whip withdrawn after praising candidates for the Brexit Party.
Ms Allan explained that she had been threatened over her comments ahead of the European elections, and she questioned whether Tory rebels who voted with the Labour Party on Wednesday would now be subject to disciplinary action.
Wednesday's vote saw ten Conservative MPs support a Labour-led motion that would have given control of parliament's timetable to the opposition, and opened up the possibility of legislation that could prevent a no-deal Brexit.
Ms Allan has said that those Tories who supported the plan should no longer be in the party.
She said: “Conservative MPs who threatened to bring down a Conservative Government have no place in the Conservative Party.”
Earlier Ms Allan had revealed how her own comments on social media had led to her effectively being threatened with being removed from the party.
Writing on Twitter in response to an article listing those Tories who supported Wednesday's opposition vote, she said: "I do not understand why Conservative bosses tolerate this from its MPs. I was threatened with having the whip removed for saying some Brexit Party candidates were fantastic. Leave voting MPs are treated as second class citizens in Parliament."
The withdrawal of the whip is parliamentary language for a politician effectively being kicked out of the party, leading to them having to sit as an independent.
Ms Allan is a leave supporter, whose constituency voted to leave the EU.
Speaking at the time she explained that her constituency's voters would want to have the opportunity to vote for candidates who favour leaving the EU.
She said: "If European elections are held, leave supporting voters will want to vote for leave supporting candidates.
"Given these unprecedented times, tribal party politics will be eclipsed by the leave/remain divide in an EU election. We were supposed to have left the EU on March 29 and we are now planning for EU elections.
"We should not be participating in these elections.
"The Brexit Party has some strong candidates for the EU elections – as a leave supporting MP in a leave supporting constituency, that is to be welcomed."
The Brexit Party enjoyed huge success in the elections, and were victorious in Shropshire, which includes Telford & Wrekin.
