Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday lost his working majority in parliament after Conservative MP Phillip Lee defected to the Liberal Democrats in the House of Commons.
The UK government lost the majority ahead of a showdown with rebel MPs over Brexit that could lead to a snap election within weeks.
In a dramatic series of event, Lee stood up just during Johnson’s speech and walked across the Commons floor before taking a seat with the Liberal Democrats, reported CNN.
The move has left the government without a majority in the parliament.
“After a great deal of thought, I have reached the conclusion that it is no longer possible to serve my constituents’ and country’s best interests as a Conservative Member of Parliament,” tweeted Phillip.
Lee wrote in his resignation letter to Johnson, which he posted on Twitter, that “Sadly, the Brexit process has helped to transform this once great party in to something more akin to a narrow faction, where an individual’s ‘conservatism’ is measured by how recklessly one wishes to leave the European Union.”
Britain is scheduled to leave the Brexit on October 31.
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Following Lee’s switch, Opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn attacked the government saying “no mandate, no morals and, as of today, no majority”.
However, Johnson said that he doesn’t agree with the notion that a no-deal Brexit would be “catastrophic” for the United Kingdom.
Johnson, who yesterday said that he will not seek an extension for Brexit from European Union, today backed down from his comment and said if the Parliament passed legislation requiring him to go to Brussels and request another extension to Brexit, he would, in fact, follow the law.
(With ANI inputs)