Senior MP Tobias Ellwood has called for an end to “blue on blue” hostilities after being stripped of the Conservative whip yesterday.
The move was a punishment after Mr Ellwood failed to take part in Monday’s confidence vote in the government.
Mr Ellwood, chairman of the influential defence select committee, argued he was unable to return from a meeting with the president of Moldova due to “unprecedented disruption”.
“The nation wants to be impressed and inspired and not demoralised,” Mr Ellwood told Sky News, adding: “We need to perhaps exhibit greater decorum, dial the temperature down a bit, showcase the ideas, the vision, focus on those things are important that the nation wants to see.”
He warned that without an end to Conservative infighting “we’re just going to let ourselves down and indeed, commit ourselves to probably a long while in opposition”.
Mr Ellwood also disputed the claim that he did not acknowledge the whips call for him to return, telling Kay Burley: “I didn’t ignore it at all, I kept the whips’ office informed the entire time.”
He added that runways which had melted in the UK due to the heatwave and security issues in Moldova both impacted his journey back.
