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Tories expel deselection row MP Tories expel deselection row MP
(about 1 hour later)
The Conservatives say they have withdrawn the party whip from Castle Point MP Bob Spink. The Conservatives have withdrawn the party whip from backbencher Bob Spink, in a row over apparent efforts by his local party to deselect him.
Mr Spink earlier told MPs he had resigned over the party's failure to deal with serious "criminal and other irregularities" in his constituency. The MP earlier told the Commons he had resigned the whip over the party's failure to deal with "irregularities" in his Castle Point 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 said they withdrew the whip with immediate effect, after he threatened 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 Tuesday.
Earlier Mr Spink, MP for Castle Point in Essex, made a point of order during a Commons debate about the Budget. 'Private agendas'
Deselection efforts Mr Spink raised a point of order during a debate on the Budget, saying: "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."
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 whipAs 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
Deputy Speaker Sir Alan Haselhurst stopped him, saying: "I think you have done enough to inform the House on that particular point."
But the party says it withdrew the whip - excluding him from the Tory group at Westminster - when he emailed the chief whip threatening to resign, accusing the party of "not doing enough to protect him during efforts by his association to deselect him".
In a letter the Conservative Chief Whip, Patrick McLoughlin, replied: "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".
'Serious enemies'
Last month Mr Spink claimed members of his local Conservative Association had been working to deselect him.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 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."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 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.
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.
"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.
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.""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."
Mr Spink is the third Conservative MP to lose the Tory whip in the last year, the others being Derek Conway and Andrew Pelling. Quentin Davies defected to Labour in June 2007.
Mr Spink has sometimes been a controversial figure. During the 2005 general election campaign he was accused of whipping up racial tension for running a newspaper advert on immigration headlined: "What bit of 'send them back' don't you understand Mr Blair?"