The Conservatives' decision to restore the party whip for two MPs accused of sexual misconduct has been condemned in the Commons chamber, with Labour MPs suggesting the Tories had prioritised "political power" over "protecting victims".

Andrew Griffiths and Charlie Elphicke were told they were being readmitted to the party just hours before the vote of no confidence in Theresa May, allowing them to take part in the ballot.

Mr Griffiths was suspended by the Tories in July after it emerged that he had sent more than 2000 text messages, many of them explicit, to a female constituent and her friend. Mr Elphicke had the whip withdrawn in November 2017 over "serious allegations" of a sexual nature, and was later referred to police.

The decision to readmit the pair just in time for the vote on Ms May's leadership was widely condemned.

The matter was raised by Labour MPs Jess Phillips and Louise Haigh during Commons business questions on Thursday, forcing Andrea Leadsom, the leader of the Commons, to respond for the government.

Quoting one of Ms Griffiths messages, Ms Phillips said: "'She's so cute, so sweet, I can't wait to beat her. Can she take a beating?' Not my words Mr Speaker - the words of the MP for Burton while barraging two of his female constituents with thousands of sexual text messages.

"Last night the Leader of the House's party gave him and the MP for Dover [Mr Elphicke] the whip back without any due process.

"What message does this send about how any process here in this place can ever be trusted?"

Turning to Ms Leadsom, she added: "I ask her to answer me that question and also to answer me: what matters more, political power or protecting victims of sexual harassment and abuse?"

In response, the cabinet minister said she was not involved in the decision, which was taken by the chief whip, Julian Smith.

She said: "I am absolutely committed to changing the culture of this place and to seeing that everybody here is treated with dignity and respect.

"There has been a process that has been undertaken. It has been a decision by the chief whip. It's not something I have been privy to."

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She assured MPs that the new parliamentary complaints procedure, introduced after the Westminster harassment scandal last year, will allow "everybody who works or visits this place to be able to take any complaints that they have to an independent place for proper investigation and proper sanction to be applied."

But Ms Haigh said the decision to readmit the two MPs meant the government had "lost any ounce of credibility in leading the investigation into sexual harassment and bullying in this place".

She said: "It is thoroughly implausible that it just so happened their investigations concluded yesterday.

"How can we be assured that party politics is taken out of investigations into such allegations and out of crucial appointments to committees governing standards and privileges in this House?

Theresa May wins vote of no confidence by 200 to 117

Ms Leadsom insisted the new complaints procedure would "ensure that any complaints in future would not have to go down party political routes".

"That is the right way for complaints to be taken forward in this House, to give people the assurance that party politics won't get in the way" she said.

After having the whip restored, Mr Griffiths declared that he would back Ms May in the no confidence vote.

It is unknown how Mr Elphicke voted, although he was expected to oppose the prime minister.