A senior Tory MP has caused a political shock wave this weekend. Dan Poulter officially defected from the Tories to Labour on Saturday, just days before the polls open for this year’s Local Elections.
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Crossing the divide in Parliament: Why did Dan Poulter defect from the Tories to Labour?
The Conservatives are on course for an electoral drubbing, which is likely to be mirrored when Rishi Sunak finds the courage to call a General Election. This government-deciding vote must be held at some point before January 2025.
Among his reasons for defection, Poulter stated that the Tories had moved from the centre-right to become a ‘nationalist party’. As a working NHS doctor, he also lamented the government’s mishandling of the health service.
Senior Labour figures including Keir Starmer, Rachel Reeves, and Wes Streeting have all welcomed Mr. Poulter with open arms. However, the same can’t be said for the Momentum faction, who have raised their grievances with the party’s new member.
Momentum lash out at new Labour recruit, after accusing him of ‘breaking public services’
The left-leaning group were keen to remind the public that Dan Poulter has only drawn a line in the sand now, after spending the last 14 years ‘voting through Tory austerity’. Momentum have also accused Labour of ‘ignoring working-class interests’.
“Dan Poulter spent 14 years voting through and enacting Tory austerity and privatisation. If he’s right to say the Tories have broken the NHS and our public services, he fails to mention he helped break them.”
“Sadly, it speaks volumes about Starmer’s Labour that an active opponent of working-class interests feels comfortable joining the party. With so little between the two main parties, it’s no wonder voters feel unrepresented.” | Momentum