TORY former minister Anna Soubry has told MPs that she is aware of at least one colleague who will not vote with their conscience on the Brexit bill for fear of reprisals.
Soubry, who is a Remainer and has herself been a target of abuse, made the comments ahead of the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill returning to the Commons.
Raising a point of order she said: "To my knowledge at least one honourable member on these benches will today and tomorrow not vote in accordance with their conscience because of threats to their personal safety, to members of their parliamentary staff and members of their family."
Soubry asked Speaker John Bercow if he would condemn the abuse that has been meted out to MPs in the course of the Brexit bill's passage.
Bercow said that no MP should be threatened because of their view. He added: "I would hope and am confident that today's debates and tomorrow's debates will take place in an atmosphere of mutual respect in which opinions sincerely held will be robustly articulated.
"No one in this place, under any circumstances, should be under threat."
Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom followed Bercow to say: "Any threats of violence and intimidation are utterly unacceptable to the Government."
Leadsom added the Government will uphold the right of every MP to do what they believe is the right thing.
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