Daniel Poulter has defected to Labour in a dramatic blow to Rishi Sunak, as the prime minister refused to rule out a summer general election.
In his shock defection, the NHS doctor and longtime Tory claimed “Labour alone has the will and the trust to restore and reform” the health service and warned the Conservatives had become a “nationalist party of the right”.
Serving to underscore the growing divides in the Conservative Party, the departure of Mr Poulter – first elected in 2010 – was swiftly following by reports of a right-wing Tory plot dubbed “100 Days To Save Britain” to replace Mr Sunak with former leadership rival Penny Mordaunt.
Mr Sunak meanwhile is keeping the door open to a July general election, having again refused to rule out going to the country this summer when asked by Sky News.
Amid speculation that a disastrous set of local elections results next week could force his hand, the PM would not “say anything more than I’ve already said” on the date of the next election.
