Tory whip makes peace with 'rebels'

Iain Duncan Smith does not want to see a 'witch-hunt'

The Conservative MPs who refused to vote on gay adoption have been told the party leadership does not consider them rebels.

Tory Chief Whip David Maclean has written to the 35 Conservative MPs who abstained in the vote on Monday despite the three-line whip imposed by Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith.

It's been a turbulent week and Iain has shown firm leadership in saying we can't go on like this and we must unite

Damian Green

The letter made it clear that the whips' office was "content that those who abstained behaved properly and honourably in the best traditions of the Conservative Party".

Meanwhile, a survey by BBC Radio Four's Today programme shows that Mr Duncan Smith's dramatic "unite or die" warning succeeded in gaining grassroots party backing.

More than half of the party's constituency chairmen questioned by Today thought Tory MPs were to blame for the current leadership crisis.

The Tory leader warned on Tuesday his party must unite behind him if it wanted to be taken seriously after the adoption rebellion.

No witch-hunt

The majority of the 103 chairmen who responded to the survey said they believed Mr Duncan Smith would lead them into the next election.

Fifty three blamed the parliamentary party for Mr Duncan Smith's current crisis while 13 thought the leader had created his own problem.

Tory Chief Whip David Maclean sent a letter to the 35 MPs who abstained

Tory headquarters has been keen to draw a line under this week's leadership crisis.

In Saturday's Telegraph Mr Duncan Smith said he did not want to see a "witch-hunt" in constituencies against MPs accused of plotting to oust him.

But he spoke of his determination to continue to lead the party into the next election.

"I have got to the next general election to take my party forward and win it.

"Nothing will knock me off that course."

Personal choice

The rebels had been angry that the party hierarchy tried to force them to vote against the measure when, they believed, it should have been a matter of personal choice.

Before the vote Mr Duncan Smith had made clear that MPs who felt they could not vote against the measure would be given the option of not turning up to vote, and several shadow cabinet members were given permission to be absent.

Who is to blame for Iain Duncan Smith's current difficulties?

Himself: 13

Parliamentary Party: 53

Other: 12

Himself and party: 7

One of them, shadow education secretary Damian Green, told Today the letter from the Chief Whip made it clear that they were not thought of as rebels.

He said the whips' office was "content that those who abstained behaved properly and honourably in the best traditions of the Conservative Party".

"What we get from today's poll and what we got at the meeting of the 1922 Committee of Conservative backbenchers was everyone recognising this"," he said.

"If there are going to be beneficial effects of this turbulent week, it will be that we have all stared into the chasm and decided to draw back."

Prima donnas

Some constituency representatives who spoke to Today were scathing about the behaviour of MPs accused of attempting to undermine the leadership.

Ann Woodhouse, secretary of the North Dorset branch, said: "Both Kenneth Clarke and Michael Portillo are trying to stir.

"They are behaving like prima donnas and feel they should be leader.

"They don't appear to be willing to accept the constituencies' votes. We don't want another leadership election."