The Conservative chairman has called comments from Midland MP Michael Fabricant “inappropriate” after a tweet in which he said he might “punch” a female journalist.

The Lichfield MP apologised after taking to Twitter last week to say he might end up “punching her in the throat” if he were to debate with female journalist Yasmin Alibhai-Brown.

Party chairman Grant Shapps told the Post it was not the first time Mr Fabricant had shown bad form on Twitter, after tweeting “about time” when Culture Secretary Maria Miller was forced to resign in April, and being sacked from his position as a party vice-chairman.

Mr Shapps said: “I don’t think it was appropriate. I think it is absolutely right that he apologised. Sometimes on Twitter people shoot from the hip and then repent as appropriate. I don’t think what he said was appropriate and it is not the first time I have thought that.

“That is why I let him go earlier in the year from the post of vice-chancellor.”

Mr Fabricant has apologised and said he felt as though he had “undone a 20 year voting record” on feminist issues.

Meanwhile, Mr Shapps said the Conservatives were the party of true devolution, despite Labour recently revealing plans to devolve £20 billion worth of funding directly to the regions.

He said in terms of track record the Tories have shown they are prepared to decentralise.

He said: “We have allowed areas to have mayors with real powers, like the London mayor has, and there is no reason why a similar approach can’t be taken in the West Midlands.

“I think we are the party of genuine devolution. We have actually delivered on it, and if you are one of the many thousands in the area to have got a job in recent months you would see that.

“And I think the results in the local elections back that up. In many places we did very well.”