THE rebel Christchurch MP sacked from his prestigious job on the Council of Europe says he has been “purged” for taking a stance on the EU referendum.

Chris Chope was among three Tory MPs on the UK delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly to be removed from their positions by the government last month.

Along with Cheryl Gillan and Sir Edward Leigh, Mr Chope contributed to the new Conservative administration’s first House of Commons defeat.

They all voted against plans to restrict a 28-day purdah period for the EU referendum, which is scheduled to take place before the end of 2017.

Mr Chope told the Daily Echo he believes this was the reason for his removal and that the issue is not yet closed, with him requesting a backbench business debate to be held over the legitimacy of the decision.

He was also granted permission to put an urgent question to Dr Thérèse Coffey, the deputy leader of the commons, over his dismissal in which he asked for the rationale.

After acknowledging Mr Chope’s disappointment, Dr Coffey said: “I am sure that [Mr Chope] will take advantage of the extra time that he has to spend in the chamber by making more of his customarily pithy and perceptive contributions to debates.”

Mr Chope replied: “Why will she not confirm that the real reason why three independently minded former ministers are being purged is because we voted in favour of a free and fair EU referendum with a strict 28-day purdah period, as recommended by the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission and our Electoral Commission?

“Does she accept that that decision is being interpreted in Strasbourg as direct interference by government in the work of the Parliamentary Assembly?”

Mr Chope found an unlikely supporter in the form of the shadow leader of the house – Labour’s Chris Bryant.

“I have never agreed with the honourable member for Christchurch on a single thing in the history of his or my time in the house, and I am not entirely sure that I agree that he is always pithy—nor am I. He is, however, an extremely assiduous parliamentarian,” said Mr Bryant.

“To be honest, the only rationale that I can detect at work in the appointments is that anyone who has ever disagreed with the Prime Minister is for the chop."