By Tory MP defects to Labour
One of the 2019 intake of Tory MPs has walked out of the party to join the Labour benches.
Christian Wakeford, who took the red wall seat of Bury South in the last election, had already called for Boris Johnson to resign following the recent controversises surrounding Downing Street parties.
The MP revealed he had put in a letter of no confidence last week.
If 54 MPs submit letters of no confidence to their party’s parlimentary group, also known as the 1922 comittee, a leadership contest would be triggered.
A leader who loses a vote is banned from taking part in the subsequent contest to replace them, which takes place in two stages.
First, Conservative MPs put themselves forward as candidates, with their colleagues voting in a series of rounds until two remain.
The final pair are then put to head-to-head vote of Conservative Party members.
Following his letter of no confidence, Mr Wakeford has now quit the party altogether and has joined Labour.
Boris Johnson has been facing mounting pressure from the opposition to resign after he admitted to attending the garden party at Downing Street in May 2020 when the UK was still in lockdown.
Labour leader Keir Starmer said the PM should ‘do the decent thing and resign.’
Now, the PM is facing anger from within his own party, with Mr Wakeford’s departure demonstarting the lack of faith in Mr Johnson from his own MPs.
As todays PM’s questions took off, the former Tory MP headed across the chamber to join the Labour benches amid cheers from the opposition.
Keir Starmer welcomed Mr Wakeford to the Labour party, stating that the party “stands ready to provide a change of government for this country”.
Contact Gi National
Email us: news@gi-media.co.uk
