The Irish flag flies in Dublin | Pool photo by Maxwells/Irish Government/Getty Images ‘Ashamed to be British’ Tory MEP becomes Irish citizen Charles Tannock hits out at Conservative ‘arrogance and hubris.’

Conservative MEP Charles Tannock told the Irish Times Monday that he decided to become an Irish citizen after the U.K.’s vote to leave the European Union.

Tannock criticized the “arrogance and hubris ... the petty nationalism, the triumphalism” of members of his own party after the referendum, saying that this made him think of his Irish heritage.

“It has been awakened by Brexit because, to be honest, I am quite ashamed to be British in many ways,” he said.

“It is a hard place to be as a Remainer Tory, but I am not leaving the party yet.”

Tannock’s grandmother was born in Dublin, which meant he could apply for Irish citizenship.

The MEP added that he will continue to use his British passport, though he said he is “seriously considering” whether he will renew it after the U.K. leaves the EU in March in 2019 and if the U.K. heads in a “hostile direction” towards Europe.

“I wanted to feel fully European and be reassured I would remain an EU citizen. I was not getting [Irish citizenship] to use it now. It is more a statement of my EU and Irish heritage and loyalty,” Tannock said.

“I believe that you can be loyal to more than one country, you can love different things in different ways. I love being European, I love being Irish, I love being British and I don’t see any incompatibility between them. Having an Irish passport made me feel a lot better psychologically to be honest.”