Boris Johnson has lost his majority of one after Tory MP Phillip Lee defected to the Lib Dems by sitting on their bench. He made the move while Boris Johnson was mid way through delivering a speech in the House of Commons. The surprise move means there is now no parliamentary majority. The MP crossed the floor ahead of a crucial vote tonight in which rebel MPs will try to take control of the Parliamentary agenda and block a no-deal.
In a letter of explanation, the MP for Bracknell said it was ‘no longer possible to serve my constituents’ and the country’s best interests as a Conservative Member of Parliament.
He said: ‘The Brexit process has helped to transform this once great Party in to something more akin to a narrow faction, where an individual’s ‘conservatism’ is measured by how recklessly one wishes to leave the European Union.’
The MP, who has been a member of the Conservative party for 27 years, said he believed the Liberal Democrats were now the best party to build a ‘unifying and inspiring political force’. Moments after he made the move Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson tweeted: ‘Welcome @DrPhillipLeeMP – you have joined us at the most crucial time. I look forward to working with you to prevent a disastrous Brexit, and to fight for a fairer, more equal society.’ Jeremy Corbyn later accused the PM of leading a government with no mandate, morals or majority. The Labour leader said MPs must stop Mr Johnson from ‘riding roughshod’ over the constitution so that a ‘cabal’ in Downing Street can ‘crash us out without a deal’. He said: ‘He isn’t winning friends in Europe, he’s losing friends at home. His is a Government with no mandate, no morals and, as of today, no majority.’
Liberal Democrat Chuka Umunna – who defected from Labour to Change UK and then the Lib Dems earlier this year – said he was ‘delighted’ to welcome Mr Lee to the party’s benches.
He tweeted: ‘This defection which erases Boris Johnson’s majority underlines the @LibDems position as the biggest and strongest Remain party in the UK.’ The stunt will come as a blow to the PM who faces a showdown with Tory rebels and Remain MPs tonight. Mr Johnson has said he will call a snap election if he is defeated by an alliance of cross-party MPs seeking to extend the Brexit deadline to avoid a no-deal. Tory rebels have accused Boris Johnson of risking the destruction of the party as they vowed to defy threats of deselection and vote to block a no-deal Brexit.
Metro
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