Tory Red Wall MP Christian Wakeford defects to Labour over Partygate

In a decision announced minutes before Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday lunchtime, Mr Wakeford told Boris Johnson that “you and the Conservative Party as a whole have shown themselves incapable of offering the leadership and government this country deserves”.

He crossed over to join the Labour benches seconds before the beginning of PMQs.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer welcomed Mr Wakeford’s defection from the Tories, saying: “I would like to welcome Christian Wakeford to the Labour Party. He has always put the people of Bury South first.

“As Christian said, the policies of the Conservative government are doing nothing to help the people of Bury South and, indeed, are only making the struggles they face on a daily basis worse.

“I’m determined to build a new Britain which guarantees security, prosperity and respect for all, and I’m delighted that Christian has decided to join us in this endeavour.”

Last week, Mr Wakeford said the Partygate situation was embarrassing and further eroding trust in politics.

In a pointed message to Boris Johnson, he called for “openness, trust and honesty” in politics, and “that starts from the top”.

He said on Twitter: “How do you defend the indefensible? You can’t!

“It’s embarrassing and what’s worse is it further erodes trust in politics when it’s already low.

“We need openness, trust and honesty in our politics now more than ever and that starts from the top!”

This is a developing story - more to follow.