More than one in ten MPs have changed their party in the current parliament.

The latest was work and pensions secretary Amber Rudd, who quit the government and resigned the Conservative Party whip, saying she could no longer ‘stand by’ while ‘loyal moderate MPs’ were purged from the party.

Her decision came after Boris Johnson sacked 21 Conservative MPs, including two former chancellors, for defying the whip and backing a parliamentary bill to stop no-deal Brexit.

Figures show that 73 members have changed party affiliation – including becoming independent or joining a new party – since Theresa May was elected with a minority government in 2017.

Phillip Lee, the pro-remain MP for Bracknell, crossed the floor of the House of Commons to join the Lib Dems on Tuesday.

The seven MPs who left the Labour party to form an Independent Group owing to concerns about anti-Semitism in the party and Brexit are also included within the figures, as is Chuka Ummuna’s switch from Change UK to independent and then to Liberal Democrat.

The previous Parliament, where Theresa May held a majority of 16, only saw six changes of party including sole Ukip MP Douglas Carswell becoming an independent, while the 2010-15 Parliament saw 18 changes of party including Mr Carswell and Mark Reckless becoming Ukip’s first MPs.

Who are the 21 Conservative Party rebels?

• Kenneth Clarke: The veteran MP for Rushcliffe since 1970, a former chancellor, home secretary, justice secretary, health secretary and education secretary, and the Father of the House.
• Philip Hammond: Theresa May’s chancellor until July, and previously foreign secretary, defence secretary and transport secretary. MP for Runnymede and Weybridge, he promised the ‘fight of a lifetime’ if the leadership tried to block him from standing as the Tory candidate at the next election.
• David Gauke: He was justice secretary under Mrs May, and previously held Cabinet roles as work and pensions secretary and Treasury chief secretary. MP for South West Hertfordshire.
• Greg Clark: MP for Tunbridge Wells, he served in the Cabinet under Mrs May and David Cameron as communities secretary and then business secretary.
• Sir Oliver Letwin: MP for West Dorset, one of the leading figures in the rebel group. He played key roles in the Cameron government as Cabinet Office minister and chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.
• Justine Greening: Putney MP, former education secretary, international development secretary and transport secretary. She said: ‘For me no-deal was always the most profoundly un-Conservative policy you could possibly have.’
• Dominic Grieve: Beaconsfield MP and former attorney general. The legal brain behind a series of rebel moves to block a no-deal Brexit.
• Rory Stewart: Penrith and The Border MP and former international development secretary. Stood against Mr Johnson in the Tory leadership race.
• Sir Nicholas Soames: MP for Crawley from 1983 to 1997 and for Mid Sussex since then. Grandson of Winston Churchill, former defence minister and shadow defence secretary.
• Alistair Burt: North East Bedfordshire MP, well-respected former Foreign Office minister. He believes it is a ‘policy of insanity’ to strip the whip from so many senior Conservatives.
• Sam Gyimah: East Surrey MP, former education minister. He said: ‘I’ve enjoyed being a Conservative member of Parliament but voting to stop a no-deal was the right thing to do.’
• Stephen Hammond: Wimbledon MP, former health minister.
• Guto Bebb: Aberconwy MP, former defence minister.
• Richard Benyon: Newbury MP, former minister in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
• Steve Brine: Winchester MP, former junior health minister.
• Richard Harrington: Watford MP, held a series of junior ministerial roles, most recently in the Business Department.
• Margot James: Stourbridge MP, former digital policy minister.
• Anne Milton: Guildford MP, former minister for women and education minister.
• Caroline Nokes: MP for Romsey and Southampton North, was immigration minister in Mrs May’s government.
• Antoinette Sandbach: Eddisbury MP, the only one of the rebels not to have held a frontbench position.
• Edward Vaizey: Wantage MP, culture minister under Mr Cameron.

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