Former Tory universities minister Sam Gyimah dramatically defected to the Liberal Democrats last night, in a blow to Boris Johnson. He was unveiled as the “newest Liberal Democrat MP” by leader Jo Swinson at the start of the party’s conference. However, Mr Gyimah soon endured some difficult questions about joining a party that wants to revoke Article 50.

BBC Breakfast host Rachel Burden immediately put the Liberal Democrat MP on the spot over his new party’s extreme anti-Brexit position.

She said: “Just four months ago you campaigned to be a Tory leader, and now you’ve switched just like that.

“Some will see this as a completely cynical move to save your own career.”

Mr Gyimah responded: “I stood for the Tory leadership knowing there was a vanishingly small chance of winning it.”

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He continued: “What became obvious during that campaign is that there are not enough Conservatives in the party to hold back that tide.

“The hard Brexiteers have won in the Conservative party – it is a hard Brexit party”.

The BBC host pointed out that he left the Conservatives because his track record on Brexit would have seen him dropped as a candidate.

Burden then pressed Mr Gyimah on the Liberal Democrat’s radical position of revoking Article 50.

She said: “If that becomes party policy, could support that?

“You are taking the vote away from the people. Whether or not you like it, 17.4m voted in favour of leave.”

Later in the interview, Mr Gyimah admitted he “did not know the detail of every Lib Dem policy” after appearing to be uncomfortable with the party’s stance on winter fuel allowance.

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In his speech to the Liberal Democrat faithful yesterday, Mr Gyimah said he joined the party to fight Boris Johnso’s “scorched earth approach” to leaving the EU.

He accused the Prime Minister of “veering towards populism and English nationalism”.

Six MPs have defected to the party in recent weeks, including former Tory MP Philip Lee, and ex-Labour MPs Luciana Berger and Chuka Umunna.

Mr Gyimah was one of the 21 Tories who had the Conservative whip removed after rebelling against Boris Johnson in a bid to prevent a no deal Brexit.

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