A Sussex politician has been attacked as a “flat earther” after he was one of just three MPs to vote against landmark legislation to tackle global warming.

Andrew Tyrie, Tory MP for Chichester, joined two of his party colleagues in opposing the Climate Change Bill as it passed its final Commons stage by an overwhelming 463 votes to 3.

Mr Tyrie has questioned the science behind concerns that greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide are increasing the earth’s temperature, threatening devastating floods and droughts.

His scepticism has left him isolated among Sussex politicians, with 12 of the county’s MPs voting for the Bill.

Three MPs – Peter Bottomley (Worthing West), Francis Maude (Horsham) and Nicholas Soames (Mid Sussex) – did not vote.

The Bill, which will go to the Lords for further debate next month, would impose ambitious targets on the Government to cut emissions by 80% from 1990 levels by 2050, including emissions from aviation and shipping.

Greg Barker, Tory MP for Bexhill and Battle, led his party’s support for the Bill.

Brighton Kemptown Labour MP Des Turner welcomed the vote result and dismissed Mr Tyrie’s opposition as marginal.

He said: “He’s one of the last of the flat earthers. He doesn’t believe in man-made climate change – and he’s wrong, in the same way people who believed the earth was flat were wrong.”

Dr Turner said the vote was “one of the most important” in his 11 years as an MP.

He added: “We are literally talking about the future of the human race.”

Mr Tyrie was unavailable for comment.