Former Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson said he should have voted for the Rwanda Bill and that he would take his old job back if the Prime Minister asked.
The MP for Ashfield said he should have been “brave” and sided with the Government instead of abstaining in a crunch vote on the latest version of Rishi Sunak’s flagship Rwanda plan.
Speaking to the Telegraph, Mr Anderson said there is “no chance” of Mr Sunak being removed before the next general election.
It comes after the Prime Minister was hit by an explosion of Tory infighting after ex-Cabinet minister Sir Simon Clarke called for him to be replaced.
Mr Anderson also revealed to the Telegraph he would back Donald Trump “by default” if he lived in the US, as he could never vote for Joe Biden.
The senior red wall MP resigned as deputy Tory chairman to back rebel amendments on the Rwanda plan.
He was among those who abstained on the final vote.
But Mr Anderson said with hindsight he should have “accepted democracy” and voted in line with the Government once the rebel bid to strengthen legislation was defeated.
He said his options were to “either vote for a Bill that might succeed or vote against a Bill and have nothing”.
The 57-year-old also urged colleagues scheming against Mr Sunak to “stop being silly” and get behind their leader, as “our only chance to win the next election is by keeping Rishi in No 10”.
The politician has been ridiculed recently for saying he ended up abstaining in the Rwanda vote because, when he went to vote against the legislation, “the Labour lot were giggling and laughing and taking the mick and I couldn’t do it”.
But he told the Telegraph his decision to abstain “wasn’t anything to do with running away or being scared”.
He said: “I’m the last person to be scared of stuff like that.
“It was a reminder that actually I was letting my colleagues down and I’m not going to give you the satisfaction, that sort of stuff.”
Asked if he would return to his old role if approached by the prime minister, Mr Anderson said: “Of course I would.”
He added: “I did wrong. Well I say I did wrong, I acted on a point of principle. I had to resign. I had no choice. I bear no malice or anything, it’s just I know the rules.”
Mr Anderson said Mr Sunak and chief whip Simon Hart "have been fine with me" since the Rwanda vote but they have only spoken “in passing”.
He also said he believes the scheme would succeed in stopping the boats once flights got off the ground.
Asked about potential legal battles holding up the plan he added: “I think we should just ignore the courts, personally.”
The MP added he was optimistic about the Tory’s chances at the next election.
