Michael Fabricant: I'm no rabid right winger

The Lichfield MP took aim after Anna Soubry, Heidi Allen and Sarah Wollaston quit the Conservatives, claiming the party had fallen into the clutches of ‘Blukip’ extremists pushing for a hard Brexit.

Mr Fabricant, who is a member of the pro-Brexit European Research Group of Tory MPs, accused the defectors of being driven to leave by "their own intolerance".

Describing himself as “socially liberal”, Mr Fabricant said: "No-one can accuse me of being a rabid right winger.

"I was appalled, angry and offended when the three Conservative defectors to The Independent Group tried to excuse their actions as being caused by a lurch to the right in the Conservative Party and suggesting it is dominated by the 'right wing' European Research Group.

"I am a member of the ERG. I am not right wing, but I am determined that the will of the British people as expressed in the EU referendum be executed."

Mr Fabricant pointed out that he had "consistently voted liberally on gay issues including gay marriage, raising the term age of abortion and alongside the Labour MP, Paul Flynn who recently passed away, on drug use."

"Although I have huge sympathy with the Labour MPs who have been effectively driven out of their own party through anti-Semitism and by Momentum activists locally, the three Conservative MPs left for very different reasons. Their wish is to thwart Brexit," he added.

"To disguise this by accusing the Conservative Party of lurching to the right and being 'intolerant' is disingenuous.

"The intolerance of these MPs who believe they know better than voters, and their hatred of the electorate has driven them out of the party."

Mr Fabricant said the defectors' views were "a minority in the Conservative Parliamentary Party and the party at large", adding: "They have only themselves to blame for their alienation which has grown steadily since the referendum and the Prime Minister’s determination to carry out the will of the British people.

"Apart from Brexit, this group of Remainers have up until now seemed more than satisfied with the direction the Government has taken.

"It is sad that they have chosen to leave and they will be missed.

"But to blame their defection on the ERG and to attempt to characterise the group as steering the Government to the right is both inaccurate and a deliberate deception.

"The truth is, it is their own intolerance which drove them to leave."