Tory MP 'resigns' whip in protest

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The Castle Point MP made the dramatic announcement while raising a point of order during Commons debate on the Budget.

He said: "I have resigned the Conservative Party whip because the Conservative Party has failed to deal with serious criminal and other irregularities in my constituency."

He did not explain what the irregularities were.

Mr Spink raised the point of order to ask "how he could proceed to inform the House" of his decision.

But Deputy Speaker Sir Alan Haselhurst told him: "I think you have done enough to inform the House on that particular point."

Mr Spink has claimed that members of his local Conservative Association have been working to deselect him.

Writing in his local paper last month, he accused a "small number of self-selected individuals" of having their own "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."

But the Conservative Party contradicted Mr Spink's statement. A spokesman said Tory chief whip, Patrick McLoughlin, had in fact withdrawn the whip "with immediate effect".