MEP Julie Girling blames Brexit stance for her expulsion from Conservative Party

In an open letter, Julie Girling said: “I believe that this is an extreme and disproportionate measure which illustrates an increasing level of intolerance within the Party particularly on the issue of Brexit.

“ It is no secret that I disagree with the PM on her strategy, as do many others, but I am being treated very differently from others in the Party, especially those with a much higher public profile. These are the tactics of a bully but I refuse to play the role of victim. I intend to direct my political energies into the Peoples Vote campaign and ensure that the final say on any deal is put to test at the ballot box. ”

Mrs Girling, was first elected as an MEP for South West England in 2009.

She and fellow MEP Richard Ashworth were suspended from the Conservative party and had the whip withdrawn on 7 October 2017 after both supported a vote in Strasbourg stating that not enough progress had been made in the first stage Brexit negotiations to allow the discussion to move onto the trade-deal phase of the talks.