Lord Heseltine has Tory whip restored after backing Lib Dems over Brexit in 2019

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Former deputy prime minister Lord Heseltine quietly had the Tory whip restored earlier this month after five years

He was suspended in May 2019 after saying he would vote for the Liberal Democrats at the European elections.

On July 9 2024, the Conservative Party restored the whip to Lord Heseltine, public records show.

A total of 21 MPs had the Conservative whip suspended in September 2019, after rebelling against the government in a bid to avoid a no-deal Brexit.

The rebellion helped inflict defeat on Boris Johnson’s government, winning a vote to override a Commons rule that says only the government can propose new laws.

Just one month later, 10 of those MPs had the whip restored – including Caroline Nokes, MP for Romsey and Southampton North, former culture secretary Lord Vaizey, Sir Nicholas Soames, Greg Clark and Stephen Hammond.

But 11 others, including former justice secretary David Gauke, remained exiled from the party. Mr Gauke lost his seat at the 2019 general election after attempting to contest it as an independent candidate, finally rejoining the party last Wednesday.

Former Chancellor Ken Clarke, who stepped down at the 2019 general election, returned to the party in September 2020 after being made a Tory peer.

At the time of Lord Heseltine’s suspension, a party spokesperson said the peer should have known that “publicly endorsing the candidates of another party is not compatible” with taking the whip.

They said the decision would be reviewed if he is “willing to support Conservative candidates at future elections”.

The spokesperson also commended him for his “half a century of service”, noting his “longstanding and sincerely held views on Europe”.

Lord Heseltine, who joined the party in 1951, was elected as the MP for Tavistock in 1965.

In an article for the Sunday Times, the longstanding pro-European politician said he would “experiment” with voting for the Lib Dems at the European elections because of the Tory government’s stance on Brexit.

He said: “I cannot, with a clear conscience, vote for my party when it is myopically focused on forcing through the biggest act of economic self-harm ever undertaken by a democratic government.”

Speaking to Sky News before the whip was suspended, Lord Heseltine said: “[Brexit] is the biggest issue of our time. This is a betrayal of national self-interest.

“This is a betrayal of the younger generation, who are passionately opposed to taking them out of the centre of world politics.

“Am I supposed to sneak away round the corner or do I do what I believe – if you’re in public life – you ought to do, which is stand up and be counted?

“And, on this issue, the transcending issue of our times, I need to stand up and be counted.”

Lord Heseltine has been contacted for comment.