Amber Rudd says she hopes she might still be able to fight the next general election as a Conservative candidate.

Speaking on BBC’s Andrew Marr Show this morning just hours after her shock resignation announcement she said she hopes that she and the other 21 – what she describes as moderate – Conservative MPs who lost the party whip last week will be restored to the party before a election is called.

Ms Rudd says the Prime Minister’s decision to suspend the whip from 21 rebel MPs last week coupled with the what she sees is too little progress towards reaching an agreement with the European Union for the UK’s departure is what prompted her to take action and resign her cabinet position and the party whip.

Listen to the full interview here

She worries that the actions of the last week show that the Conservative party does not recognise the views and opinions of moderate MPs like herself.

Asked by Marr whether she worried about the violent acts in the run up to and during any election campaign Ms Rudd said: “It is the responsibility of all of us in parliament to try to calm people down.