STOURBRIDGE MP Margot James is to lose the Tory whip after voting against the Government in tonight’s vote to stave off a no-deal Brexit.

The Conservative MP was among rebels who voted with opposition MPs to seek to push forward a bill to delay the UK's Brexit date.

Speaking after the vote, which saw Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Government defeated by 328 to 301 votes, she told the News: "I voted against the Government in the vote for Oliver Letwin's motion which I think gives added protection to prevent leaving without a deal - but it's got to pass a lot of hurdles."

She stressed: "I'm not giving up on the Prime Minister getting a deal." But she and the other rebels will be stripped of the Tory whip for taking a stand against the Government.

Ms James said of her actions: "The most difficult aspect is the knowledge that I've upset people I work closely with in Stourbridge - that's the thing that affects me more than anything else. Losing the whip is of little consequence."

She said she has sympathy for constituents who have been left completely frustrated at "how our political system has misused the time we've had" to the point that they "don't mind if they leave with a deal or not" and she added: "I know some of the people who voted with the Government found it a difficult decision - there were no happy people about tonight."

Ms James, who has been an MP since 2010, can also expect to be de-selected in the event of Boris Johnson calling a snap General Election.

In the meantime, she has pledged it will be business as usual and said she plans to hold a surgery in Stourbridge this week. She said: "I'm still a Member of Parliament until an election is called. I will answer people's questions and account for my actions as long as discussions can be conducted on reasonable terms."