Tobias Ellwood has been restored the Tory party whip - but only long enough to vote in the leadership race.

On Wednesday afternoon, as voting in the ballot of Tory MPs got under way in Westminster, he tweeted: “Delighted to report my request for a momentary return of the whip has been granted – just long enough for my proxy vote to be cast!”

Mr Ellwood, a former minister who chairs the Commons Defence Committee, lost the party whip after he failed to support the Government in a confidence vote on Monday.

He claims he was unable to return in time from a visit with the president of Moldova because of “unprecedented disruption”.

Boris Johnson on Tuesday stripped him of the whip as a result of his non-appearance.

Mr Ellwood said he deeply regretted losing the whip and hoped it would only be temporary.

He also said that he did not ignore the whip’s office and kept the party informed of his movements.

“There are a few options to get back, but there were a problems with travel in the UK,” he said. “I am very sorry I didn’t make it back.”

He told Sky News that he did not want to speculate about the reasons why he specifically lost the whip: “I’d be then fuelling the blue-on-blue (attacks), which I’m actually trying to avoid.

“Let’s focus on how we can move forward and make sure that we conclude this leadership campaign to the highest professional standard that I think the British people want to see.”

Tobias Ellwood said that recent weeks have been a “sad chapter” in the history of the Conservatives, warning that the party had “lost our way”.

Mr Ellwood, a former minister who chairs the Commons Defence Committee, lost the party whip after he failed to support the Government in the confidence vote on Monday.

He had argued he was unable to travel back from a meeting with the president of Moldova.

He added said: “The nation wants to be impressed and inspired, not demoralised, by what they’re witnessing right now.

“And we need to perhaps exhibit greater decorum, dial the temperature down a bit, showcase the ideas, the vision, focus on those things that are important, that the nation wants to see.

“That’s what will earn us the right to stay in government otherwise, we’re just going to be letting ourselves down and indeed committing ourselves to probably a long spell in opposition.”