FIRST Minister Nicola Sturgeon has praised East Renfrewshire's MP after he voted to rule out a 'no-deal' Brexit.

Paul Masterton was the only Scottish Conservative to defy the UK Government in Wednesday night's vote at the House of Commons.

He then resigned from his role as a ministerial aide, which had seen him acting as a Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) in the Home Office.

READ MORE: MP quits role as Tory Ministerial aide after Brexit vote

Scottish Secretary David Mundell abstained on the no-deal Brexit vote at Westminster – a move which was branded a "disgrace" by Ms Sturgeon.

Speaking at First Minister's Questions today, she said: "I think it is to his credit that Paul Masterton did the right thing last night.

"The Secretary of State for Scotland can't even manage to rebel properly. He pathetically opted for an abstention to save his own job, rather than properly standing up for this country – and that, I think, is a disgrace."

Prime Minister Theresa May had promised a free vote on Wednesday but, when MPs voted by 312 to 308 on an amendment to reject a no-deal Brexit under any circumstances, Conservative MPs were ordered to vote against it.

Instead, Mr Masterton joined the mutiny against Mrs May.

READ MORE: MP 'looked to his conscience' when deciding to quit as Ministerial aide after Brexit mutiny

He later told the Barrhead News he has always believed the best way forward to honour the result of the UK-wide referendum and the manifesto on which he was elected by the people of East Renfrewshire in 2017 is to "leave the EU with a negotiated deal that minimises economic impact and sets us up for a very close future economic, trading and security relationship."

Meanwhile, Mr Mundell took to Twitter to stress that he has always opposed a no-deal Brexit.

He wrote: "The PM has my full support in her objective of leaving the EU with a deal to deliver an orderly Brexit."