UK politics – live: Tory MP Dan Poulter defects to Labour as plot hatched to oust Sunak before election

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.

Key Points

• Rishi Sunak refuses to rule out summer election

• Dan Poulter defects to Labour in shock blow to Tories ...

• ... As right-wing Tories plot to replace Sunak with Penny Mordaunt

• ‘Bottler’ Sunak should ‘get on with’ general election, says Wes Streeting

12:11 , Andy Gregory

We’re pausing live updates on the blog – thanks for following here.

You can keep scrolling to catch up on this morning’s politics shows, with appearances from an embattled Rishi Sunak, Wes Streeting and Home Office minister Chris Philp – fresh from their appearance on Question Time earlier this week.

Our political correspondent Archie Mitchell also has this write-up of the latest threat to Mr Sunak’s leadership and his refusal to rule out a summer general election:

Tory plot to take sword to Sunak and make Mordaunt PM

Keir Starmer vows to keep pensions triple lock throughout next parliament

12:03 , Andy Gregory

Keir Starmer has vowed to retain the pensions triple lock for at least five years if he enters Downing Street, in a pre-election pitch to older voters.

The Labour leader said pensioners “deserve certainty” as he guaranteed the triple lock would be “protected for the duration of the next parliament” under his premiership.

The triple lock refers to the commitment to raise the state pension every year in line with whichever is highest out of wage growth, inflation or 2.5 per cent.

It has become a hallmark of successive Conservative governments since it was announced in 2010 but there has been a debate about its long-term future due the costs.

Keir Starmer vows to keep pensions triple lock throughout next parliament

Watch: Rishi Sunak refuses to rule out July general election

11:33 , Andy Gregory

Who is Dan Poulter: The Tory MP defecting to Labour in fury at NHS crisis

11:26 , Andy Gregory

Dr Dan Poulter has defected to the Labour Party, claiming the Conservatives have become a “nationalist party of the right”.

But critics pointed to Mr Poulter’s record as a Conservative MP for the past 14 years, a time when the NHS has been placed under huge pressure.

Below, The Independent’s political correspondent Archie Mitchell looks at Mr Poulter’s career as an MP and why he has defected to the Labour Party:

Who is Dan Poulter: The Tory MP defecting to Labour in fury at NHS crisis

Humza Yousaf is ‘finished’ regardless of confidence vote, says Tory leader

11:18 , Andy Gregory

Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross has said Humza Yousaf is “finished” even if he survives an upcoming vote of no confidence with the support of the Alba Party.

On Thursday, Mr Ross said he would be lodging a motion of no confidence in the First Minister - with other opposition parties at Holyrood, including the Greens, saying they would support it.

On BBC Scotland’s Sunday Show, Mr Ross said: “He cannot continue as first minister, as I’ve said to him in my response to his letter yesterday. He must resign.”

The Scottish Conservative leader continued: “Even if he survives, it is on a tied vote with the Presiding Officer voting for the status quo. That is not holding the confidence of the entire Scottish Parliament.

“Even if he scrapes through with the support of Alex Salmond, ultimately he’s finished anyway.”

Streeting says he hopes defection ‘sends a signal’ that disaffected Tories ‘welcome’ in Labour

11:05 , Andy Gregory

Wes Streeting has said that he hopes Dan Poulter’s defection “sends a signal” to disaffected Tories that “they’re welcome to join us in Labour”.

“It’s a sign of both the state of the Conservative Party, but also the strength of the Labour Party, that we’re attracting someone like Dan Poulter over to the Labour benches before the general election arrives.

“I hope that sends a signal to those disaffected Conservatives who are looking for a political home that they’re welcome to join us in Labour.

“Because we want to unite our country, the challenges are so great, we’ve got to bring our country back together to tackle the state of our economy, our public services, and the threats in this really dangerous and volatile world we find ourselves.”

Alex Salmond weighs in on whether Humza Yousaf will survive no confidence vote

10:57 , Andy Gregory

Former first minister of Scotland, Alex Salmond, has given his thoughts on whether Humza Yousaf will be able to survive a no confidence vote.

My colleague Sophie Thompson reports:

Alex Salmond weighs in on whether Humza Yousaf will survive no confidence vote

‘Bottling’ Sunak should ‘get on with’ general election, says Streeting

10:56 , Andy Gregory

Rishi Sunak is “bottling” a general election and “should get on with it” because people are “fed up with waiting”, Labour’s Wes Streeting has said – claiming the PM “will have to be taken out of Downing Street by his fingernails”.

“I can tell you having campaigned right across the country in these local elections, the number one question that’s asked right across the country is ‘when do you think the general election is going to be?’” the shadow health secretary told Sky News.

“People are crying out for an opportunity to deliver their verdict on this government and to vote for change.

“That’s why the prime minister bottled an election earlier this year. That’s why he’s bottling it now. That’s why he will have to be taken out of Downing Street by his fingernails by the end of the year.”

Tories losing West Midlands and Tees Valley at mayoral elections would ‘set vultures circling’, Sunak warned

10:53 , Andy Gregory

Rishi Sunak has been warned that losses in the Tees Valley and West Midlands mayoral elections would “set the vultures circling”, with restless Tory MPs agitating for a leadership challenge.

Ben Houchen and Andy Street are the Conservatives’ most powerful figures outside of Westminster and have both built major personal brands. When their seats were last up for election in 2021, Mr Houchen won a remarkable 72 per cent of the vote, while Mr Street won with 54 per cent.

But, in a worrying sign the week before ballots open next, pollsters are recording both races close to neck and neck, with Mr Houchen slightly leading in Tees Valley, while Mr Street is slightly behind in the West Midlands race.

Chris Hopkins, director of polling company Savanta, said that if both Tory mayors lose, “the vultures really will be circling for Rishi Sunak” and “it would show how much of a drag the Conservative brand is nationally”.

“These are two figures who are essentially running campaigns as independently of the Conservative Party as possible, and the fact the races are as close as they are is testament to the strength of their personal brands.

Our political correspondent Archie Mitchell has the full report:

Tories losing Houchen and Street would ‘set vultures circling’, Rishi Sunak warned

Scottish Green co-leader signals no change on Humza Yousaf confidence vote

10:46 , Andy Gregory

Lorna Slater, co-leader of the Scottish Greens, has indicated her party will not be changing its mind about supporting the upcoming motion of no confidence in Humza Yousaf.

On BBC Scotland’s Sunday Show, Ms Slater said they would vote in favour of the motion.

She said: “I cannot imagine anything at this point that could change that position. This was a spectacular breach of trust.”

Asked if policy offers from Mr Yousaf ahead of the vote could persuade them to abstain, Ms Slater said: “[The Bute House Agreement] was based on mutual trust and respect. I do have trust and respect for many of my SNP colleagues.

“But Humza Yousaf himself has broken that and he needs to face the consequences.”

Minister declines to set cap on migration

10:27 , Andy Gregory

Home Office minister Chris Philp has declined to set a cap on net migration after former immigration minister Robert Jenrick called for it to be limited to the tens of thousands.

Mr Philp told the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg: “We are committed to substantially reducing legal migration. We don’t think it’s right to have large-scale, low-skilled migration. We want a much smaller number of high-skilled migrants.”

Asked about Mr Jenrick’s call for a cap, he said: “I’m not in a position to sit here and advocate for a hard cap today.

“But what I can say is that we’re taking measures that have been enacted and are now being implemented to reduce legal migration by about 300,000 a year. That’s by significantly increasing salary thresholds. It’s by reducing the numbers of dependants who can come in with migrants.

“I think the British public do want us to control, to significantly reduce, migration, both legal migration as well as stop illegal migration.”

Tory minister says he was posing ‘rhetorical question’ on Rwanda and DRC

10:20 , Andy Gregory

Policing minister Chris Philp has insisted he was posing a “rhetorical question” after he appeared to ask whether Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo were different countries on Question Times this week.

He told the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme: “I was struggling a little bit to hear the question.

“When I put that point to him I was asking that as a clearly rhetorical question rather than a substantive question, as I think any fair-minded listener would conclude.”

Humza Yousaf in ‘very difficult position’ ahead of no-confidence vote, says Alex Salmond

10:17 , Andy Gregory

Alex Salmond said Humza Yousaf is in a “very difficult position” ahead of votes of no confidence in the coming week and could well be “in a listenening mode”.

Speaking to Sky News, he said: “Humza Yousaf wouldn’t have sacked the Greens from his cabinet or his administration unless he wanted a significant change in direction.

“Therefore, I’m sure he’s in a listening mode to listen to proposals on independence, on moving away from the identity agenda which has caused so much disruption in Scottish society.”

He continued: “Ash Regan’s conducting the negotiations, as it should be, because she’s the parliamentary leader of Alba in Holyrood. She’s found herself in a highly influential position. I think Scotland are lucky that it’s somebody like Ash Regan who’s in that position.”

Sunak defends spending £75bn on defence over NHS and schools

10:06 , Andy Gregory

Rishi Sunak has explained why he chose to spend £75bn on the UK’s defence, rather than use it to fund the NHS and schools.

The prime minister told Sky News of a “more dangerous world” and the need to stand up to “assertive” countries, saying: “The right thing for me to do as prime minister, given that the security of our people is my first responsibility, is to ensure that we invest to keep the country safe.

“The defence industry supports hundreds of thousands of jobs across the UK.”

Rishi Sunak defends spending £75 billion on defence over NHS and schools

Tory poll ratings will ‘significantly improve’ closer to election, claims minister

10:01 , Andy Gregory

The Tories will see their poll ratings “significantly improve” closer to a general election, Home Office minister Chris Philp has predicted.

He told the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg: “Clearly, the opinion polls are where they are. We can all see what they currently say. But I think as we continue to deliver and get things done, the public will appreciate that.

“I think as we get closer to an election, most likely in the autumn, it becomes more of a choice rather than a sort of referendum on do you feel grumpy with the government. Clearly, at the moment, people do feel grumpy with the government.

“But as we get closer to an election, it’s not so much a referendum on grumpiness. It becomes actually a choice – who do you want to run the country?”

He said that confronted with the choice between Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer, “we will see our poll ratings significantly improve”.

Rishi Sunak refuses to answer if he’ll ‘have no regrets’ should Tories lose election

09:59 , Andy Gregory

Rishi Sunak has refused to answer whether he’ll be able to leave office with “no regrets” should the Tories lose the next general election.

My colleague Sophie Thompson has more details here.

Wes Streeting ‘not aware’ of any offer to Poulter to defect to Labour

09:54 , Andy Gregory

Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting said he was not aware whether Dr Dan Poulter was offered anything to defect to the Labour Party.

Asked by the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg if Dr Poulter was made an offer, Mr Streeting replied: “Not that I’m aware of.

“He said very clearly to me when I was talking to him this week about how he might help, he’s going back to the NHS full-time when parliament is dissolved, which can’t come soon enough as far as we’re concerned.”

Pressed if he could rule out if any offers were made, Mr Streeting went on: “Well, I’m not aware, he’s certainly not mentioned anything to me and neither has the Labour Party.”

Poulter’s defection reflects ‘disillusionment felt by millions’, says Wes Streeting

09:53 , Andy Gregory

Labour’s shadow health secretary Wes Streeting has said Dr Dan Poulter’s defection reflects “disaffection and disillusionment felt by millions”.

He told Sky News’ Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips: “I think it’s a reflection of the state of the modern Conservative Party.

“I think it reflects the disaffection and disillusionment felt by millions of Conservative voters across the country who are thinking about who to vote for in the next general election.

“I think it also reflects a changed Labour Party, frankly, that someone like Dan Poulter, who has worked in the NHS, cares passionately about the NHS, has come to the conclusion that only Labour can be trusted with the NHS.”

Dan Poulter says Labour has ‘track record’ of improving NHS

09:51 , Andy Gregory

Tory defector Dr Dan Poulter said Labour has a “track record” of improving the NHS.

In a pre-recorded interview, the working medic told the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg: “If we want to do better for patients, we want to restore that service to where it was before, then I believe that we need to look to a party that has a track record when it was in government before under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, that has a track record of delivering for patients, transforming services, getting on top of waiting lists, investing in community health care.

“That’s what Keir Starmer and the Labour Party I know will do and they will be trusted, I’m sure, to do it by NHS staff as well.”

He said the changes the Labour Party has made under Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership, “not just on the health service, but particularly on that offer on health, about tackling the determinants of poor health, housing, poverty and all those issues, are the sort of things that are really going to make a big difference”.

“I think that’s why I’ve made the change I have and why I believe it will make a difference to the patients I look after.”

Dr Poulter said “patients deserve better” and it “shouldn’t be the case in a civilised health system” that a third of patients are waiting more than 60 days for urgent cancer care.

Rishi Sunak refuses to rule out summer election

09:49 , Andy Gregory

Rishi Sunak is keeping the door open to a July general election, having again refused to rule out going to the country this summer.

Amid speculation that a disastrous set of local elections results for the Tories could force his hand, the prime minister would not “say anything more than I’ve already said” on the date of the next election.

He has previously said it will take place in the second half of 2024. Most Westminster analysts take this as meaning October or November, although it could technically also mean July.

Mr Sunak was asked on Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips, recorded before Dr Poulter’s shock defection, whether the latter half of 2024 could mean July.

Pressed repeatedly whether he was ruling out July, he said: “I’m not going to do that. You’re going to try and draw whatever conclusion you want from what I say. I’m going to always try and say the same thing. You should just listen to what I said, same thing I’ve said all year.”

Tory plot to take sword to Sunak and make Mordaunt PM

09:43 , Andy Gregory

Within hours of Dan Poulter’s defection, new reports were published detailing a claimed plot by desperate Right wing Tory MPsto replace Rishi Sunak with Penny Mordaunt in a last ditch bid to avoid defeat at the general election.

They are said to have hatched a “100 Days To Save Britain” plan whereby Ms Mordaunt, best known for wielding a ceremonial sword at the King’s coronation, would become PM.

The extraordinary idea is reportedly in response to fears that the party could suffer massive losses in this week’s local elections, jitters which have been heightened by Mr Poulter’s dramatic defection.

One Tory rebel told the Sunday Telegraph: “The reality is that we are facing an extinction-level event. It’s for colleagues to decide if they want to go down with the ship.”

Our political correspondent Archie Mitchell reports:

Tory plot to take sword to Sunak and make Mordaunt PM

Former Tory minister defects to Labour over NHS crisis in fresh blow for Sunak

09:39 , Andy Gregory

Leading the agenda this morning is the defection of longtime Tory MP Dan Poulter to the Labour Party.

Mr Poulter, the MP for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich, who also works part-time as a mental health doctor in the NHS, said he would not stand at the next election but would join Labour until the vote, likely to be anytime between later this year and early 2025.

My colleague Tom Watling has more in this report:

Former Tory minister defects to Labour over NHS crisis in blow for Sunak

09:34 , Andy Gregory

Good morning, and thank you for joining us on our politics blog, where we’ll be providing you with live updates from all of the Sunday shows on what has become another difficult day for the prime minister.