Natalie Elphicke’s shock defection from the Tories to Labour left her former party colleagues stunned - and none more so than Jonathan Gullis.
The Stoke MP was caught on camera looking rather bewildered as she crossed the floor just before prime minister’s questions.
Gullis, who is a deputy chair of the Tory Party, could be seen watching Elphicke being ushered towards the Labour benches, seemingly struggling to take in what was going on.
When the penny finally drops, he leans forward and taps Conservative MP Paul Bristow on the shoulder to talk about what he’s just seen.
He then turns to another colleague while pointing across at where Elphicke, the MP for Dover, had taken her seat.
Gullis’ reaction was echoed by MPs across the chamber, not least Tories left furious at Elphicke’s decision.
Speaking outside the debating chamber, transport minister Huw Merriman told the BBC: “I’m absolutely staggered. I’ve seen some sights in this place, but the lack of scruples on this one is a new bar that Natalie Elphicke has created.
“Just recently she wrote a Daily Mail article saying don’t trust Labour on immigration, they really want open borders, and now she’s sitting with them. Absolutely bizarre.”