Mickey Brady, right, with Gerry Adams, the Sinn Fein leader. The MP for Newry & Armagh was in a delegation overseeing the poll in the absence of internationally recognised independent observers

The election that gave President Maduro the power to abolish Venezuela’s parliament and rewrite the constitution has been described as “fair and equitable” by a Sinn Fein MP.

Mickey Brady, the MP for Newry & Armagh, was part of a delegation invited to oversee the poll in the absence of internationally recognised independent observers, which Venezuela has not allowed in since 2006.

The election last Sunday has been dismissed as a “sham” by the US and condemned by countries around the world, including Britain.

The National Electoral Council, which extended the invitation to Mr Brady, is nominally impartial but has been criticised at home and abroad as a puppet organisation for Mr Maduro.

Mr Brady said: “I was in Venezuela for four days and I…