Conservative MP Christian Wakeford has defected to the Labour party in yet another crushing blow for Boris Johnson.
Mr Wakeford, MP for Bury South, announced his defection with a scathing letter to the PM just moments before Prime Minister’s Questions.
In the letter, the former Tory MP wrote that he wishes to join a political party that the country ‘can be proud of, and not embarrassed by’.
He added that Mr Johnson and the wider Conservative party has proven to be ‘incapable of offering the leadership and government that this country deserves’.
Christian Wakeford says Boris Johnson is ‘incapable of leadership’
Mr Wakeford, who was elected in 2019, added that the Tory party is ‘out of touch’ with his hard-working constituents.
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He was one of the MPs who wrote a letter of no confidence in the Prime Minister after reports of lockdown parties at Downing Street emerged.
His full letter is below, touching on the ‘disgraceful way’ that Boris Johnson has behaved in recent weeks.
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I would like to welcome Christian Wakeford MP to the Labour Party.
I’m determined to build a new Britain which guarantees security, prosperity and respect for all and I’m delighted that Christian has decided to join us in this endeavour. pic.twitter.com/rp4sEyc0t1
Sir Keir Starmer, leader of the Labour party, has welcomed the Mr Wakeford’s move.
He said: “He has always put the people of Bury South first.
“As Christian said, the policies of the Conservative government are doing nothing to help the people of Bury South and indeed are only making the struggles they face on a daily basis worse.
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“People across Britain faces a cost of living crisis but this incompetent Tory government is asleep at the wheel, distracted by a chaos of its own making.”
Dear Prime Minister, I am writing to inform you of my decision to resign from the Conservative Party and apply to join the Labour Party.
From today I will be sitting as the Labour MP for Bury South because I have reached the conclusion that the best interests of my constituents are served by the programme put forward by Keir Starmer and his party.
I care passionately about the people of Bury South and I have concluded that the policies of the Conservative government that you lead are doing nothing to help the people of my constituency and indeed are only making the struggles they face on a daily basis worse.
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Britain needs a government focused on tackling the cost of living crisis and providing a path out of the pandemic that protects living standards and defends the security of all.
It needs a government that upholds the highest standards of integrity and probity in public life and sadly both you and the Conservative Party as a whole have shown themselves incapable of offering the leadership and government this country deserves.
Being elected as MP for Bury South was the proudest day of my life. I care passionately about the area and will always be grateful to those who have supported me.
Today, however, I am in no doubt that they will be better served by my joining a party that genuinely has their interests at heart.
I have wrestled with my conscience for many months, and you will know that I have made my policy misgivings clear on many occasions in private and sometimes in public.
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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.
Under Keir Starmer, the Labour Party is back firmly in the centre of British politics, in touch with working people, and ready to provide an alternative government that this country can be proud of, and not embarrassed by.
My decision is about much more than your leadership and the disgraceful way you have conducted yourself in recent weeks. However, I don’t believe all politicians are the same and I do believe in the power of politics to be a force for good.
So does Keir Starmer.
He has shown that integrity in the way he has lead his party on issues that matter to me, not least the vital challenge of combatting antisemitism.
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I will always put the people of Bury South first and will continue to speak out for the changes the area needs.
Changes that can only be delivered by a Labour government under Sir Keir Starmer.
Featured image: Richard Townshend Photography
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NHS becomes first in the world to roll out ‘revolutionary’ blood test to help treat cancer patients
Emily Sergeant
The NHS has become the first in the world to roll out ‘revolutionary’ blood tests to help treat cancer patients.
Tens of thousands of patients with lung and breast cancer in England are set to benefit from the new ‘liquid biopsy’ test that can speed up access to targeted therapy by up to two weeks earlier, all while helping some patients avoid further tests and treatments – including chemotherapy.
The test is to be used before traditional tissue biopsies to help diagnose certain types of cancer.
A ‘liquid biopsy’ works by detecting tiny fragments of circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) and looks for specific genetic variations of cancer, allowing patients to access targeted therapies which are tailored to the genetic profile of their cancer.
The blood test is being rolled out nationwide following a successful pilot, and NHS England expects that around 15,000 patients with suspected lung cancer could now benefit from the test each year.
Thousands of patients with cancer will benefit from a new blood test which can speed up access to targeted therapy.
Pilot data in lung cancer showed that in some cases, patients received the results of ctDNA testing needed to make treatment decisions 16 days earlier with liquid biopsies compared with the standard cancer tissue biopsy approach.
An independent health economic assessment of the pilot estimated the test could save the NHS up to £11 million per year in lung cancer care.
Because of this, the NHS says it’s now looking at using the test in a range of other cancers too – including pancreatic and gallbladder cancer.
“Liquid biopsies are leading us into a new era of personalised cancer care,” commented Professor Peter Johnson, who is the NHS’s national clinical director for cancer, “and it’s fantastic that we are now able to expand the use of this revolutionary test on the NHS to help tailor treatment for thousands of patients across the country.
The NHS has become the first in the world to roll out a ‘revolutionary’ blood test to help treat cancer patients / Credit: Wikimedia Commons | Pexels
“Cutting-edge genomic testing is helping us deliver more targeted and kinder care for patients, enabling some to avoid more intensive treatments such as further chemotherapy, which can have a huge impact.
“We are already seeing the difference this test can make in lung and breast cancer, and we hope to roll it out for patients with other forms of cancer in the near future.
“As research progresses, it’s exciting that this approach has the potential to help us ‘scan’ the body in a single blood test to see where and how cancer may be developing and target it with speed and precision to help save more lives.”
More than 1,600 patients with suspected lung cancer and around 600 advanced breast cancer patients have had liquid biopsy tests done since April, but the test is now available for all eligible lung and breast cancer patients in NHS hospitals across England.
Featured Image – Karolina Grabowska (via Pexels)
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Tribute paid to former Race Across the World star Sam Gardiner who died in a crash in Gatley
Emily Sergeant
The family of a former Race Across the World star who died following a collision last week have paid a touching tribute to him.
Sam Gardiner rose to public attention when he competed with his mother, Jo, in the second series of the BBC’s Race Across The World, but sadly, the 24-year-old lost his life during a collision in Gatley at the beginning of last week.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) confirmed that Sam was the driver of a white VW Golf R estate that was involved in a single-vehicle collision on Monday 26 May.
The collision occurred on the A34 in Gatley, and Sam has since passed away from his injuries.
Sam Gardiner and his mum Jo, who competed on BBC’s Race Across the World / Credit: GMP
At the time of his tragic death, Sam was working as landscape gardener and had been based on an isolated estate on the west coast of Scotland, but was home in Manchester for a family gathering.
Sam was described by his parents as a ‘loyal, funny, and fiercely protective’ young man in the tribute paid to him.
Their tribute reads in full: “We are devastated by the loss of our beloved son Sam in a terrible accident. Sam left us far too soon, and whilst words will never fully capture the light, joy and energy he brought into our lives, we hold on to the memories that made him so special.
“Sam was adored by his family. As a son, brother and nephew, he was loyal, funny and fiercely protective.
#APPEAL | Serious Collision Investigation Unit appeal for information following a serious road traffic collision on A34 in Gatley on Monday 26 May at 9.50pm.
Call us on 0161 856 4741 quoting 3306 26/05/25 with any information.
— Stockport Police (GMP) (@GMPStockport) May 27, 2025
“He did Race Across The World in 2019, which opened his eyes to the wonder of adventure and travel. He was willing to go wherever the trail might lead and he touched everyone he met on the road. He found great happiness working as a landscape gardener on the west coast of Scotland.
“Sam brought warmth, laughter and a smattering of chaos wherever he went.
“He leaves behind a huge hole in our hearts. We will miss him endlessly, but we’ll also remember him with smiles, tall tales, and a depth of love that will never fade”.
At this time, Sam’s family have asked for privacy whilst they begin to come to terms with the terrible loss, and are being supported by specialist GMP officers.
Daisy Jackson -
19th January 2022 
