Former health minister Dr Dan Poulter has defected from the Conservative Party to Labour, citing the Tories' abandonment of the NHS. The MP for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich, who works part-time as a mental health doctor, said the Conservatives had become a 'nationalist party of the right' that no longer prioritises healthcare.
Poulter announced he would take the Labour whip until the next election but will not seek re-election. He described his experiences on over 20 night shifts in an overstretched A&E department as 'truly life-changing', saying he could no longer look colleagues, patients or constituents in the eye while remaining a Conservative.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer welcomed Poulter, saying it was 'time to end the Conservative chaos'. The defection is the first from Tory to Labour since Christian Wakeford in 2022 and deals a blow to Rishi Sunak ahead of local elections, where the Tories risk losing half their remaining council seats.
Poulter, first elected in 2010 and a health minister under David Cameron until 2015, said the party had drifted rightwards, with Liz Truss's premiership a 'shattering moment' for moderates. He intends to advise Labour on mental health policy while focusing more on his NHS work.
