AN MP has defended his stance against a General Election amid speculation his party could deselect him.

Labour’s Peter Kyle, who represents Hove, told the Argus his party would be rewarded if they “took a mature stance” and waited until Brexit was sorted out before calling an election.

Mr Kyle voted against an election on Wednesday, while the majority of Labour MPs abstained on the issue.

But Johnbosco Nwogbo, leading member of Labour faction Brighton and Hove Momentum, attacked Mr Kyle for calling the 2017 General Election a “waste of negotiating time” on Twitter.

The clash came amid tension in the Hove Labour Party as the heated re-selection process for Mr Kyle has begun.

Mr Nwogbo told the Argus: “Labour won 47 new seats in 2017. That doesn’t sound like a waste of time to me.

“Peter Kyle increased his majority to 18,000. How were they wasting his time?

“The basic job description of a Labour MP is to fight the Tories.

“We are ready for an election and every Labour Party member should be ready and raring to go.”

Mr Nwogbo said he wanted Mr Kyle to “look forward” to the re-selection process, where he could potentially face opposition if another candidate runs.

Aisling Murray, another Momentum activist, said Hove Labour Party members should reconsider Mr Kyle’s record.

“In Kyle we have an MP who seems unsure his constituency will support him,” she said.

“I’m not saying he should be deselected but Labour Party members in Hove have to think about that.”

But Mr Kyle responded by defending his record.

“I have real sympathy for Jeremy Corbyn’s position,” the Hove MP said.

“It’s his job as leader of the opposition to prepare for, call, and win a General Election.

“But we’re in an unprecedented period of time.

“Right now the national interest is served by Parliament staying and doing its job.”

Mr Kyle said holding a General Election would allow Prime Minister Boris Johnson to “get out of trouble”.

“I will not support a General Election until Brexit is resolved,” he said.

“It’s our job to solve Brexit for the country. It’s not the country’s job to solve the business of Parliament.”

The Hove MP worried Labour would suffer at the ballot box if an election occurred before a second referendum.

“If we have a General Election now, it will be a plague on all of our houses,” he said.

“Jeremy will be rewarded for taking a mature stance once we have sorted out Brexit.”

Mr Kyle added Parliament had “stood up” to Boris Johnson’s “bullying” after defeating his call for an election on Wednesday.

“I was saying all summer that Parliament will rise to meet any challenge that Boris Johnson throws at us,” he said.

“Boris Johnson has one trick up his sleeve and that is bullying, but Parliament will not be bullied. He threatened his own MPs and lost.”