THE vice-chairman of the Conservative Party has been sacked after he tweeted that it was “about time” that Basingstoke MP Maria Miller resigned as Culture Secretary.

Michael Fabricant, MP for Lichfield was called in for crisis talks yesterday with the party’s chairman, Grant Schapps, who asked the MP to resign.

However, when the Lichfield MP refused, he was sacked by the party after a series of social networking posts about former Culture Secretary, Maria Miller.

As previously reported on The Gazette website, Basingstoke MP Maria Miller resigned from her position as Culture Secretary at the heart of the Government yesterday, following the public row over her second home expense claims. 

Yesterday, on Twitter Michael Fabricant said: “Maria Miller has resigned. Well, about time. Now we can focus on the GOOD news – particularly that the UK economy is growing faster than all other G7 countries.”

He later added: “If in trouble, resign quickly and in a dignified manner. Lesson to us all.”

However, the Daily Mail reported last night that sources close to Grant Schapps insist the sacking was mainly down to his opposition to the Government’s plan for a new high-speed rail line between London, Birmingham and the North of England.