Defecting to Labour 'most difficult decision I have ever had to make' says Bury South MP Christian Wakeford

MP Christian Wakeford, who defected from the Tories to Labour, said “compromise isn’t a dirty word, but it is possible to compromise too far”.

He told broadcasters: “There’s been far too many issues where I’ve felt we’ve been on the wrong side.

“And compromise isn’t a dirty word, but it is possible to compromise too far.

“And when it’s getting to a point where it’s difficult to explain some of these issues then you know it’s wrong.

“At the moment we (have) a party trying to defend the indefensible and they are doing so gladly.”

Christian Wakeford said defecting from the Tories to Labour was “the most difficult decision I have ever had to make”.

The Bury South MP told broadcasters: “This isn’t a matter of just deciding this morning, you know, I want to be a Labour MP – this has been many months in the build up.

“And whether it goes back to the issues over free school meals and Dominic Cummings, or over Universal Credit and the cost-of-living crisis… the Owen Paterson affair or now partygate, there has been a lot of… build up to this and a lot of soul searching that’s taken many sleepless nights.”

He added: “This is something that has taken many months to come to and it’s not been an easy decision, if anything it’s been the most difficult decision I have ever had to make. But I do think it’s the right decision for me, I think it’s the right decision for Bury South.”

Christian Wakeford said he was elected as a centrist and remains a centrist following his defection to the Labour Party.

The Bury South MP told broadcasters: “I was elected as a moderate and as a centrist and I am still a moderate and a centrist. I’m just wearing a different rosette.”

On whether there should now be a by-election in Bury South, he said: “I think it was quite clear that even the Prime Minister wasn’t calling for a by-election today, and I think it’s been quite clear that they know they’d lose.

“I want to get on with the day-to-day job of representing the people who elected me as a centrist.”