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MPs have reacted with fury after a Theresa May loyalist who was stripped of the Tory whip after sending lewd text messages to two barmaids had it restored hours before the crucial confidence vote.

Married father Andrew Griffiths, 48, also resigned as small business minister in July after it was revealed he had sent 2,000 sexual texts to barmaid Imogen Treharne and a friend in just 21 days, weeks after the birth of his first child.

The Burton and Uttoxeter MP, who is a former chief of staff to Mrs May, told his local paper he would be supporting the Prime Minister in Wednesday's vote.

He quit his ministerial role and also had the whip removed in July after a newspaper exposed the string of illicit texts he had sent to two barmaids.

In the texts he made lewd comments and referred to himself as daddy, sending more than 2,000 messages in a three week period.

The Derby Telegraph reported Mr Griffiths, who was a former chief of staff for Mrs May, said: “Theresa May has shown huge determination and bravery in negotiating and arguing for her deal.

"I believe she remains the best person to deliver the Brexit people in Burton and Uttoxeter voted for, and I will be supporting her in tonight’s ballot.”

It prompted a furious reaction from female Labour MPs including shadow secretary of state for women and equalities, Dawn Butler, wrote on Twitter: “How can Theresa May call herself a feminist when she lets an MP who was suspended for sexual harassment back into the Conservative Party to vote for her in the leadership challenge? This is a betrayal of women.”

Fellow Labour MP Jess Phillips added: "They said it would be different.

"They said we won't let patronage and power change our minds where wrongdoing occurred. They said we won't protect our mates.

"They lied, they all lied. Same old same old."

At the time of leaving his ministerial role, Mr Griffiths said: "I am deeply ashamed at my behaviour which has caused untold distress to my wife and family, to whom I owe everything, and deep embarrassment to the Prime Minister and the Government I am so proud to serve.”

Dover MP Charlie Elphicke, who was suspended from the Conservative party last year, has also had the Conservative whip restored to allow him to vote.

The vote is set to take place between 6pm and 8pm with a result expected around 9pm.

It was announced this would be held after the 48-letter threshold needed to trigger a secret ballot of Tory MPs was reached.

The Prime Minister said she would contest her leadership "with everything I've got".