Just in time for Prime Minister’s Questions
Conservative MP for Bury South, Christian Wakeford, has quit the Tory party in protest against Boris Johnson’s leadership.
Elected in the 2019 general election, Wakeford was one of the so-called Red Wall Tory MPs. Earlier this week, the vocal critic of Boris Johnson confirmed he had submitted a letter of no confidence in the Prime Minister.
Responding to the news, Leader of the Labour Party Sir Keir Starmer said: “I would like to welcome Christian Wakeford to the Labour Party. He has always put the people of Bury South first.”
A very warm welcome to Christian Wakeford MP!
The new Labour MP for Bury South. 🌹 pic.twitter.com/kfpbob6VC9
— The Labour Party (@UKLabour) January 19, 2022
The MP defected for Labour before an explosive session of Prime Minister’s Questions, marking his departure from the Tory Party by “crossing the chamber”.
This is the moment Bury South MP @christian4burys crossed the house to defect to the Labour party #PMQs pic.twitter.com/WE6XXntfGi
— PoliticsJOE (@PoliticsJOE_UK) January 19, 2022
In his resignation letter addressed to the Prime Minister, Wakeford said “From today I will be sitting as the Labour MP for Bury South because I have reached the conclusion that the best interests of my constituents are served by the programme put forward by Keir Starmer and his party
“I care passionately about the people of Bury South and I have concluded that the policies of the Conservative government that you lead are doing nothing to help the people of my constituency and indeed are only making the struggles they face on a daily basis worse”
He said “Under Keir Starmer, the Labour Party is back firmly in the centre of British politics, in touch with working people, and ready to provide an alternative government that this country can be proud of
“My decision is about much more than your leadership and the disgraceful way you have conducted yourself in recent weeks”
The Tory MP said the Prime Minister was “incapable of offering leadership”
