Antoinette Sandbach, the MP for Eddisbury which covers Malpas and surrounding areas, has rebuffed claims she is a collaborator.

In an article for The Times newspaper published today (Friday) under a headline of ‘My family were thrown out by the Nazis — I’m no “collaborator”, Ms Sandbach rebuked suggestions she is trying to block Brexit.

The Daily Telegraph published a the parliamentary portrait of Ms Sandbach alongside others last week, describing them as ‘Brexit Mutineers’ because they put signatures to amendments on the European Union Withdrawal Bill.

They were accused of being ‘dissidents’ by Sir Bill Cash, also in The Times, for trying to frustrate the process of Britain leaving the EU.

But in her article, the Eddisbury MP wrote: “I strongly rebuke any suggestion that signatories to amendments are trying to frustrate Brexit and wish to respond to Sir Bill.

“The Oxford English Dictionary defines a dissident as “disagreeing in political matters; voicing political dissent, usually in a totalitarian state”.

“If by supporting various amendments I am resisting even the slightest hint of totalitarianism, I am satisfied.

“Our Parliamentary democracy must be cherished and the EU Withdrawal Bill goes too far, in its original form, in handing swathes of powers to the Government. ‘Taking back control’ referred to transferring power back to our Parliament, not the Executive.

“I recognise that we must leave the European Union, which is why I voted to trigger Article 50 and will support the Government wherever possible in achieving the very best deal for our country.

“Every MP owes it to their constituents to scrutinise the process and help to reach that outcome. There are, however, options around the type of Brexit we pursue and I must act in the best interests of my constituents and businesses in my constituency.”

Ms Sandbach went on to say she found the accusation of being a mutineer ‘offensive’.

She said: “Such a comment, along with recent headlines branding individuals as ‘mutineers’, are deeply divisive and personally offensive to someone whose family was thrown out of their house by Nazis and lived under Nazi occupation.

“In the 2010 Parliament alone, Sir Bill voted against the government more than 80 times.

“I would not accuse Sir Bill of collaborating with Labour despite such a high rebellion rate. Such comments are unfit of a Member of Parliament.”