Tory MP Tobias Ellwood has whip restored

A senior Tory MP has had the whip restored, after being suspended from his party for missing a confidence vote in the summer.

Tobias Ellwood, the chairman of the Commons Defence Committee, had the whip removed after he failed to vote for Boris Johnson’s Government in a confidence vote in July.

Mr Ellwood, a former minister, had argued he was unable to make it to the crucial vote as he struggled to travel back from a meeting with the president of Moldova.

At the time, he said he was “very sorry” he did not make it back to Parliament in time.

On Saturday, the Bournemouth East MP tweeted that he was glad “to be off the (Odesa) naughty step & back in Pty as we enter this re-set”.

A spokesman on behalf of the whips office confirmed that Mr Ellwood has had the whip restored.

Mr Ellwood’s return to the parliamentary party comes amid extraordinary turmoil for the Tories, after Ms Truss sacked Kwasi Kwarteng as chancellor and replaced him with Jeremy Hunt in a bid to calm the markets and restore order to her premiership.

The Tory MP tweeted that Mr Hunt was a “wise inclusion” in the Government.

“We thrive when governing as ‘One Nation’ Tories harnessing a coalition of talent – solving economic crises via sound money & fiscal responsibility.”