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Boris Johnson today pledged to “reach out” to the 21 Tories stripped of the party whip following a high-level rebellion against the alleged purge.

The Prime Minister appeared to offer an olive branch by saying he wanted to “build bridges” with the MPs who include two ex-chancellors and Winston Churchill’s grandson.

His comments were made on a campaigning trip to Scotland minutes after the Evening Standard revealed that the executive of the 1922 Committee, which represents Tory backbenchers, told Chief Whip Mark Spencer that “a way back” must be found for at least some of the group.

The executive, known in Westminster as the Men in Grey Suits, requested that an appeals panel first established after the controversial deselection of former MP Lord Flight in 2005 be convened to consider individual cases.

The intervention came after several senior ministers spoke out in Cabinet to ask for a way back for rebels who voted against the Government on a Bill to prevent a no-deal Brexit this week.

Asked about the pressure building in his party, Mr Johnson told Sky: “I want to be very clear about this. It grieves me deeply ... these are friends of mine and I’ve worked with them for many years.”

Mr Johnson stressed that “we have got to get Brexit done” and not get “snarled up in Parliament”. But he went on: “Yes, of course I am going to reach out to those colleagues and have been reaching out to try to find ways of building bridges.

“But I’ve got to be clear. We must get Brexit done and that’s my message to my colleagues: come together and get this thing over the line and unite out country and then get on with defeating the Labour Opposition.”

In key developments as dismay spread over the PM’s hardball tactics:

Former defence secretary Sir Michael Fallon warned against driving millions of Tory Remain voters “into the hands” of the Liberal Democrats and Scottish Nationalists. He also called for an “appeals mechanism” for the 21.

Bob Neill, a senior Tory MP, appealed to Mr Johnson to listen to “brilliant folk” at No 10 like his former City Hall chief of staff Sir Edward Lister. It follows anger at maverick senior adviser Dominic Cummings.

The PM won a legal battle against one of his predecessors Sir John Major and campaigner Gina Miller who were seeking to have the prorogation of Parliament ruled unlawful. However, court agreed there could be an appeal to the Supreme Court on September 17.

The list of senior Tory MPs throwing in the towel at the next general election grew longer, with Sir Michael joining the PM’s brother Jo Johnson, former party chairwoman Dame Caroline Spelman , ex-minister Nick Hurd, Jeremy Lefroy and Keith Simpson. Rebel MP Anoinette Sandbach commented: “Purge starting to turn into an exodus ... its a tragedy and is the legacy of ERG and Spartans.”

Among ministers who intervened in Cabinet were Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Michael Gove, Health Secretary Matt Hancock, Culture Secretary Nicky Morgan plus Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd.

Chancellor Sajid Javid signalled his own concern in a radio interview. When asked if some of the MPs should be allowed back into the fold. He replied: “I would hope so.”

A Cabinet source told the Standard that it was “a mistake” to have stripped the whip from 21 MPs and to have made clear they would be deselected at the coming general election. “There needs to be a way back for some of them,” said the source. “They are all different. Some are just solid undemonstrative Conservatives like Richard Benyon, Stephen Hammond and Steve Brine, who are normally loyal.”

One senior Tory source stressed that if the election was delayed, the whipless MPs might be needed back to win divisions at Westminster.

Lib-Dem and Plaid Cymru sources said a general election was now “unlikely” before October 31, but Labour and the other opposition parties are yet to finalise an agreement on the date they want.

Lord Flight was deselected after going off message in the run up to the election in an episode widely seen as unfair.

Former defence secretary Sir Michael said: “I would hope there would be some kind of appeal mechanism that they can find now so they get the chance to state their case.” He told BBC Radio 4’s Today: “I also worry that it sends the wrong message to Remainers, particularly in my party.

“I think, by definition, some five million Conservatives must have voted Remain and we have got to be very careful not to drive them into the hands of remainer parties like the Liberal Democrats in England or the Scottish nationalists in Scotland.”

A Downing Street source was unyielding, saying threats of discipline had to be carried out to have force.

A No 10 spokesman said: “The rebels who voted to hand over power from the Government to the Opposition were told very clearly in advance what the consequences of their actions would be.”