LONDON, Jan 19 —  A lawmaker quit Boris Johnson’s Conservative Party today to defect to the opposition, calling the British prime minister’s behaviour "disgraceful” as he faces a growing rebellion from in his own ranks against his premiership.

Christian Wakeford, who represents the Bury South constituency in northern England, said Johnson’s policies were doing nothing to help the people he represents and that he was joining the opposition Labour Party.

"My decision is about much more than your leadership and the disgraceful way you have conducted yourself in recent weeks,” Wakeford said, a reference to a growing scandal over reports of parties being held at Downing Street during Covid-19 lockdowns.

"I can no longer support a government that has shown itself consistently out of touch with the hard working people of Bury South and the country as a whole,” Wakeford added. — Reuters