Nick Ferrari: It is shameful that Christian Wakeford defected to Labour with no by-election
20 January 2022, 07:30
Nick Ferrari reacts to the latest political news
After one Tory MP defected to Labour amid the ongoing partygate saga, Nick Ferrari hit out at the hypocrisy of the move branding it '"shameful".
Number Ten insists Boris Johnson won't resign - even if he faces a vote of no confidence over lockdown parties in Downing Street.
Yesterday in the House of Commons, one of the senior members of his own party, David Davis, called for him to step down.
"Has the big dog recovered some of his bite?" Nick asked, adding, "that's what it would appear many are suggesting as the pork pie plot seems to be running out of steam."
On Wednesday a Red Wall MP said Boris Johnson was "disgraceful" as he defected from the Tories to Labour.
Bury South MP Christian Wakeford said the country needs a Government that "upholds the highest standards of integrity and probity", but told Mr Johnson "both you and the Conservative Party as a whole have shown themselves incapable of offering the leadership and Government this country deserves".
His move was announced just minutes before a session of Prime Minister's Questions, with the timing calculated to cause maximum damage to Mr Johnson.
There's 'no way back' for MP Christian Wakeford after he defected
Hitting out at Bury South MP Christian Wakeford, Nick highlighted the hypocrisy of him crossing the floor of the Commons and defecting from the Conservative Party to Labour.
Nick urged his listeners to "make the most" of the name Christian Wakeford, predicting he would "bounce around for a couple of days, probably be in the Sunday papers and then you'll be struggling to remember who he is.
"He won't even be a name in his own household, let alone anyone else's."
Nick said it was "quite incredible" that he could "just decided to change parties," branding the defection "shameful."
"He voted for a bill in 2020 that would require MPs to face a by-election, were they to defect to another party."
Nick said the move from one party to another was "simply not fair."
Mr Wakeford's decision to cross the floor led to calls for him to trigger a by-election.
In 2020 he supported a backbench bill that called for any MP who switches parties to face a recall petition.
Asked whether there should be a by-election, the Prime Minister's press secretary said: "I think that that is up to the constituents of Bury South."
Mr Wakeford won Bury South, which had elected a Labour MP at every election since 1997, in 2019.
He told reporters in Westminster it was "the most difficult decision I have ever had to make" and followed months of soul-searching.
