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Dr Dan Poulter has defected to the Labour Party, claiming the Conservatives have become a “nationalist party of the right”.

But critics pointed to Mr Poulter’s record as a Conservative MP for the past 14 years, a time when the NHS has been placed under huge pressure.

Below, The Independent’s political correspondent Archie Mitchell looks at Mr Poulter’s career as an MP and why he has defected to the Labour Party:

Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross has said Humza Yousaf is “finished” even if he survives an upcoming vote of no confidence with the support of the Alba Party.

On Thursday, Mr Ross said he would be lodging a motion of no confidence in the First Minister – with other opposition parties at Holyrood, including the Greens, saying they would support it.

On BBC Scotland’s Sunday Show, Mr Ross said: “He cannot continue as first minister, as I’ve said to him in my response to his letter yesterday. He must resign.”

The Scottish Conservative leader continued: “Even if he survives, it is on a tied vote with the Presiding Officer voting for the status quo. That is not holding the confidence of the entire Scottish Parliament.

“Even if he scrapes through with the support of Alex Salmond, ultimately he’s finished anyway.”

Wes Streeting has said that he hopes Dan Poulter’s defection “sends a signal” to disaffected Tories that “they’re welcome to join us in Labour”.

“It’s a sign of both the state of the Conservative Party, but also the strength of the Labour Party, that we’re attracting someone like Dan Poulter over to the Labour benches before the general election arrives.

“I hope that sends a signal to those disaffected Conservatives who are looking for a political home that they’re welcome to join us in Labour.

“Because we want to unite our country, the challenges are so great, we’ve got to bring our country back together to tackle the state of our economy, our public services, and the threats in this really dangerous and volatile world we find ourselves.”

Former first minister of Scotland, Alex Salmond, has given his thoughts on whether Humza Yousaf will be able to survive a no confidence vote.

My colleague Sophie Thompson reports:

Rishi Sunak is “bottling” a general election and “should get on with it” because people are “fed up with waiting”, Labour’s Wes Streeting has said – claiming the PM “will have to be taken out of Downing Street by his fingernails”.

“I can tell you having campaigned right across the country in these local elections, the number one question that’s asked right across the country is ‘when do you think the general election is going to be?’” the shadow health secretary told Sky News.

“People are crying out for an opportunity to deliver their verdict on this government and to vote for change.

“That’s why the prime minister bottled an election earlier this year. That’s why he’s bottling it now. That’s why he will have to be taken out of Downing Street by his fingernails by the end of the year.”

Rishi Sunak has been warned that losses in the Tees Valley and West Midlands mayoral elections would “set the vultures circling”, with restless Tory MPs agitating for a leadership challenge.

Ben Houchen and Andy Street are the Conservatives’ most powerful figures outside of Westminster and have both built major personal brands. When their seats were last up for election in 2021, Mr Houchen won a remarkable 72 per cent of the vote, while Mr Street won with 54 per cent.

But, in a worrying sign the week before ballots open next, pollsters are recording both races close to neck and neck, with Mr Houchen slightly leading in Tees Valley, while Mr Street is slightly behind in the West Midlands race.

Chris Hopkins, director of polling company Savanta, said that if both Tory mayors lose, “the vultures really will be circling for Rishi Sunak” and “it would show how much of a drag the Conservative brand is nationally”.

“These are two figures who are essentially running campaigns as independently of the Conservative Party as possible, and the fact the races are as close as they are is testament to the strength of their personal brands.

Our political correspondent Archie Mitchell has the full report:

Lorna Slater, co-leader of the Scottish Greens, has indicated her party will not be changing its mind about supporting the upcoming motion of no confidence in Humza Yousaf.

On BBC Scotland’s Sunday Show, Ms Slater said they would vote in favour of the motion.

She said: “I cannot imagine anything at this point that could change that position. This was a spectacular breach of trust.”

Asked if policy offers from Mr Yousaf ahead of the vote could persuade them to abstain, Ms Slater said: “[The Bute House Agreement] was based on mutual trust and respect. I do have trust and respect for many of my SNP colleagues.

“But Humza Yousaf himself has broken that and he needs to face the consequences.”

Home Office minister Chris Philp has declined to set a cap on net migration after former immigration minister Robert Jenrick called for it to be limited to the tens of thousands.

Mr Philp told the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg: “We are committed to substantially reducing legal migration. We don’t think it’s right to have large-scale, low-skilled migration. We want a much smaller number of high-skilled migrants.”

Asked about Mr Jenrick’s call for a cap, he said: “I’m not in a position to sit here and advocate for a hard cap today.

“But what I can say is that we’re taking measures that have been enacted and are now being implemented to reduce legal migration by about 300,000 a year. That’s by significantly increasing salary thresholds. It’s by reducing the numbers of dependants who can come in with migrants.

“I think the British public do want us to control, to significantly reduce, migration, both legal migration as well as stop illegal migration.”

Policing minister Chris Philp has insisted he was posing a “rhetorical question” after he appeared to ask whether Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo were different countries on Question Times this week.

He told the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme: “I was struggling a little bit to hear the question.

“When I put that point to him I was asking that as a clearly rhetorical question rather than a substantive question, as I think any fair-minded listener would conclude.”