This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/uk_politics/7292642.stm

The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 1 Version 2
Tories expel MP after Commons row Tories expel deselection row MP
(10 minutes later)
The Conservatives say they have withdrawn the party whip from Castle Point MP Bob Spink.The Conservatives say they have withdrawn the party whip from Castle Point MP Bob Spink.
Mr Spink earlier told MPs he had resigned over the party's failure to deal with serious "criminal and other irregularities" in his constituency.Mr Spink earlier told MPs he had resigned over the party's failure to deal with serious "criminal and other irregularities" in his constituency.
But the party says it withdrew the whip - excluding him from the Tory group at Westminster - because he had emailed the chief whip threatening to resign.But the party says it withdrew the whip - excluding him from the Tory group at Westminster - because he had emailed the chief whip threatening to resign.
The BBC understands he was facing a re-selection meeting next week.The BBC understands he was facing a re-selection meeting next week.
Earlier Mr Spink, MP for Castle Point in Essex, made a point of order during a Commons debate about the Budget - telling MPs he had resigned the Conservative whip. Earlier Mr Spink, MP for Castle Point in Essex, made a point of order during a Commons debate about the Budget.
As a matter of good party discipline I cannot have MPs making threats to resign the whip at a time of their own choosing, if the demands of the party are not met Patrick McLoughlinTory chief whip Deselection efforts
He said: "Mr Deputy Speaker, I wonder if you could advise me how I can proceed to inform the House that I have, as of today, resigned the Conservative Party whip because the Conservative Party has failed to deal with serious criminal and other irregularities in my constituency."He said: "Mr Deputy Speaker, I wonder if you could advise me how I can proceed to inform the House that I have, as of today, resigned the Conservative Party whip because the Conservative Party has failed to deal with serious criminal and other irregularities in my constituency."
But the party says it withdrew the whip from Mr Spink, after he emailed the chief whip and threatened to resign. Deputy Speaker Sir Alan Haselhurst stopped him, saying: "I think you have done enough to inform the House on that particular point."
As a matter of good party discipline I cannot have MPs making threats to resign the whip at a time of their own choosing, if the demands of the party are not met Patrick McLoughlinTory chief whip
Last month Mr Spink claimed members of his local Conservative Association had been working to deselect him.
He wrote in an article for his local paper: "It is for Castle Point residents to decide who will be their MP, not a small number of self-selected individuals with their private agendas."
He added: "I have made very serious enemies. So it is not surprising that some senior members of the Conservative Association executive have been working, yet again, to deselect me."
Resignation threat
The party says it withdrew the whip from Mr Spink, after he emailed the chief whip and threatened to resign, accusing the party of "not doing enough to protect him during efforts by his association to de-select him".
In a letter the Conservative Chief Whip, Patrick McLoughlin, told him: "As a matter of good party discipline I cannot have MPs making threats to resign the whip at a time of their own choosing, if the demands of the party are not met.In a letter the Conservative Chief Whip, Patrick McLoughlin, told him: "As a matter of good party discipline I cannot have MPs making threats to resign the whip at a time of their own choosing, if the demands of the party are not met.
"I must therefore treat your resignation as taking immediate effect"."I must therefore treat your resignation as taking immediate effect".
The BBC understands that Mr Spink was facing a reselection meeting in his constituency next Tuesday.The BBC understands that Mr Spink was facing a reselection meeting in his constituency next Tuesday.
According to sources he had refused to attend that meeting and had demanded support from the party nationally or he would resign. The chief whip then took the decision to remove the Whip from him. According to sources he had refused to attend that meeting and had demanded support from the party nationally or he would resign.
In his letter Mr McLoughlin said the party had initiated an investigation last year into the management of the local Conservative Association in response to Mr Spink's concerns.
"It did not find evidence to enable it to conclude that it would be justified in depriving the association of its rights under the constitution to consider your re-selection."