BOURNEMOUTH East MP Tobias Ellwood has defended his decision not to join the rebellion against a no-deal Brexit, despite repeatedly saying it would be bad for the country.

The former minister had previously warned that the town’s biggest private employer, JP Morgan, would “think about departing” if Britain left the European without an agreement.

But Mr Ellwood, who had also said the Conservatives could be in opposition for a decade in the event of a no-deal Brexit, did not join the 21 Tory MPs who voted to block the scenario this week. The motion, which passed by 327 votes to 299, required the government to seek another Brexit extension unless a deal is reached.

Mr Ellwood said “What I disagreed with is that there was no indication as to what to do with the additional time. That I found deeply frustrating.”

He said there was “widespread concern” about the impact of a no-deal departure. “It’s a deeply sub-optimal outcome and one that was never presented in the original referendum, but although they’re asking for more time, what are they hoping to achieve in those three months that can’t be achieved prior to October 31?” he added.

He agreed with the government that there should be a general election. “These are confusing and challenging times in politics and understandably people are very frustrated with the inability of this parliament to conclude Brexit,” he said.

“Therefore it’s appropriate, when parliament can’t agree, that we press the reset button and allow the nation to choose a new make-up, choose a new parliamentary complexion, in the hope that a different legislature will be able to work with the government to pass legislation.”

Tuesday’s rebellion led to the expulsion of the Tory rebels, including former chancellors Kenneth Clarke and Philip Hammond, and Winston Churchill’s grandson Nicholas Soames.

Mr Ellwood said he hoped MPs on the Eurosceptic side would be treated similarly if they voted against a future Brexit deal. “When the grandson of Winston Churchill loses the whip, is essentially thrown out of our party, we have to ask ourselves are those the right tactics?” he said.

The expulsions also angered North Dorset MP Simon Hoare, who tweeted yesterday: “There’s deep disquiet across the party at the handling of this issue of the whip. We can’t win unless our base is broad and representative of all strands of opinion.

“I think we are better being like Churchill and NOT Stalin.”

South Dorset MP Richard Drax backed the expulsions. He said the rebellion was different from his own serial votes against Theresa May’s withdrawal bills, arguing the motion was effectively a vote of confidence.

“They have worked with the leader of the opposition, who’s nothing more than a Marxist who would destroy this country and others if he got into power,” he said.

Mr Drax believed the Labour Party would eventually agree to an early general election. “That’s what we need now, to get hopefully the majority we need to go on and deliver the referendum result and put this disgraceful parliament to bed once and for all,” he added.

“ I totally despair at what’s going on from the speaker down and find the whole spectacle grotesque.”