For Central Suffolk and North Ipswich since the 2010 election. He combines his political career with Practising Medicine as an nhs Hospital Doctor on a part time basis. He confirmed he was defecting to labour in an interview with Laura Kuenssberg take a listen. And it increasingly difficult to look my patients, nhs colleagues and constituents in the eye. I feel the ifeel the nhs i feel the nhs deserves ifeel the nhs deserves better i feel the nhs deserves better in the terms of how it is governed. The conservatives had a compassionate view about supporting the more disadvantaged in society. I think the Conservative Party today is in a very different place. Its focus is not on delivering or supporting high quality public services. With me is our Political Correspondent ben wright. Tell is about who dan poulter is on the significance of his defection. He represents Central Suffolk and North Ipswich. Hejoined the party under david cameron. He is very much of cameron conservative, he is at the centre of the party, one nation tory. He is in Nm Dilemma Nhs dr working in Mental Health and has continued to do that alongside his time in parliament. He was briefly a minister and has been a backbencher for the last few years. This has come Out Of The Blue. There has been speculation for a long time that the despondency and anger simmering on the Tory Backbenchers could burst into a defection at some point. Today we have it. I think it is a big blow for rishi sunak. We are going to have big local elections in a few days which the tory party is braced for being bad was not the clock is ticking down quite fast to a general election. The Prime Minister doesnt have long to try to gee up his troops and prove he has a plan for pulling this back. What he says about public services, where his thought that tory to be compassionate, in his view they no longer are. Compassionate, in his view they no longerare. He compassionate, in his view they no longer are. He feels that the conservative he joined the party to represent has been abandoned by the current Prime Minister and his team and i think this is quite wounding. It is defended to be. Defection to come Out Of The Blue was not i am sure this will have been orchestrated to an extent was that they will have been talks going on for a while, perhaps, they will have been talks going on fora while, perhaps, between for a while, perhaps, between dan poulter and keir starmer. It is certainly a coup for the labour party. It is a big blow for rishi sunak. ,. ,. , � sunak. Yes, tell us about. I dont think weve sunak. Yes, tell us about. I dont think weve had sunak. Yes, tell us about. I dont think weve had reaction sunak. Yes, tell us about. I dont think weve had reaction from sunak. Yes, tell us about. I dont think weve had reaction from the i think weve had reaction from the conservatives but what about the labour party . Keir conservatives but what about the labour party . Conservatives but what about the labour pa . ,. ,. ,. , labour party . Keir starmer on social media said it labour party . Keir starmer on social media said it was labour party . Keir starmer on social media said it was fantastic labour party . Keir starmer on social media said it was fantastic to media said it was fantastic to welcome dr poulter to the changed labour party. It is time to end conservative chaos, turn the page and get britains future back was not pleased that dan poulter has decided to join us not pleased that dan poulter has decided tojoin us on not pleased that dan poulter has decided to join us on this journey and dan poulter says he would like to see an election happen now. It is not about to, i dont think. The Expectation Sill is that the general election will probably be towards the autumn. He intends to stay in parliament. There is no requirement to have a by election if there is a defection like this will stop he will now be sitting on labours ranks. �. ,. , will now be sitting on labours ranks. �. ,. ,. , ranks. And already the conservatives are facin ranks. And already the conservatives are facing mass ranks. And already the conservatives are facing mass numbers ranks. And already the conservatives are facing mass numbers of ranks. And already the conservatives are facing mass numbers of their ranks. And already the conservatives l are facing mass numbers of their mps choosing not to stand at the next election for various reasons. Which auain, is election for various reasons. Which again, is indicative election for various reasons. Which again, is indicative of election for various reasons. Which again, is indicative of a election for various reasons. Which again, is indicative of a political again, is indicative of a political cycle. I think it is about seven to have decided they would rather do other things after the next election, whoever wins. Ithink defections like this often seemed to symbolise a moment as well. They are quite rare. This is the third defection from the Conservative Party that we have had since 2019. Christian wakefield left the tories in 2022 when borisjohnson was still Prime Minister, during the partygate scandal. Lee anderson, former deputy chair of the party, was suspended and then went to join reform uk. Chair of the party, was suspended and then went tojoin reform uk. His journey is indicative of some of the anger and disillusionment there is on the right of the party. What dan poulter� s move suggests or represents its concern within the centre of the tory party about the direction it is heading in. Haifa centre of the tory party about the direction it is heading in. Direction it is heading in. How do ou think direction it is heading in. How do you think the direction it is heading in. How do you think the tories direction it is heading in. How do you think the tories are direction it is heading in. How do you think the tories are going i direction it is heading in. How do you think the tories are going to | direction it is heading in. How do i you think the tories are going to be able to manage this . The . You think the tories are going to be able to manage this . You think the tories are going to be able to manage this . They will hope to move on able to manage this . They will hope to move on very able to manage this . They will hope to move on very quickly able to manage this . They will hope to move on very quickly and able to manage this . They will hope to move on very quickly and it able to manage this . They will hope to move on very quickly and it is to move on very quickly and it is going to be difficult. But quickly, i think our attention will be shifting to the local elections later next week and the results coming in on friday and saturday. That i think will be a very big moment and there is speculation around that that could potentially uncork a wider rebellion among tory mps against rishi sunak. Im not quite sure myself but the numbers are there for that to happen. This is a political Punctuation Mark the sort of defection, that often symbolises a moment. I think this is how it will be seen. How it will be seen. Ben, thank you. It was can how it will be seen. Ben, thank you. It was can see how it will be seen. Ben, thank you. It was can see the how it will be seen. Ben, thank you. It was can see the full how it will be seen. Ben, thank you. It was can see the full interview it was can see the full interview with dan poulter at 9am on sunday on bbc one. Ukraine says its Energy Infrastructure has been hit again, in another night of russian air attacks. Officials in kharkiv, the countrys second biggest city, said one missile had hit the grounds of a Psychiatric Hospital, damaging buildings and injuring a woman. There were also attacks in the dnipro region in central ukraine and in the Western Areas of lviv and ivano frankivsk. Officials say equipment was damaged and at least one Energy Worker injured. Russia has repeatedly targeted ukrainian Energy Infrastructure over recent months. Its attacks such as these that have led to the us providing more aid for ukraine. The United States outlined what will be included in a 6 billion package of military assistance. Its part of a larger 60 billion commitment which was approved by congress a week ago following six months of delays. The package will focus on air defence and includes interceptor missiles, anti drone systems and artillery ammunition. Whats not included are the new patriot air defence batteries, which ukraines president Volodymyr Zelensky says are critical. 0ur ukraine correspondentjames waterhouse, has been monitoring events from southern ukraine. Even by the standards of this war this was a night of busy skies, where you have the ukrainian authorities saying that russia launched 3a missiles from land, sea and air, and it was a large scale attack where you have these Power Stations reportedly hit in the far westerly parts of ukraine, as well as in the east around the eastern city of dnipro, as well as kharkiv city in the north east, where we are told a Psychiatric Hospital was narrowly missed, with 1,000 people inside. President zelensky has used the strikes to renew his pleas for air defence systems. Yes, this western aid is coming in, but he is saying that western allies have the resources to stop every Russian Missile from hitting ukrainian targets. He has used that political opportunity. But this wasnt a night of one way traffic. You have russian authorities in the southern Krasnodar Region saying they intercepted more than 60 drones launched by ukraine. They say two Oil Refineries were hit and there are reports that an airbase too. The us at one point warned ukraine about hitting energy sites inside Russia Overfears of Energy Price Rises and an escalation in this war. It is clear from last night that kyiv still does not share in those concerns. Some Breaking News this hour israels Foreign Minister says israel will defer its operation into the Southern Gaza city of rafah if there is a hostage deal. Both sides are currently continuing to review proposals. Egyptian mediators have arrived in israel and local media are reporting theres been notable progress in finding common ground. Meanwhile, hamas has posted a new video, which shows two of the hostages captured during its attack last october. Keith siegel, and 0mri miran, both identify themselves. While the video is not dated, there is a reference to the recent passover holiday. Its the second such video that hamas has published in the past few days. In gaza itself, the hamas run Health Agency says at least 50 people have been killed in israeli attacks in the past day. On saturday, people searched through the rubble of rafah, trying to recover what they could, after two houses were struck in the Southern Gaza city. The bbc has learned that british troops could be deployed to gaza to help deliver humanitarian aid. Soldiers may be used to drive lorries across floating causeways on a new sea route, dropping supplies onto beaches. 0ur Diplomatic CorrespondentJames Landale reports from jerusalem. Some aid is getting into gaza by land. Trucks carrying food, water and medical supplies. Some aid is being dropped by air, but the United Nations says it is nowhere near enough to help the people of gaza who, it says, are facing famine. So there are plans for aid to come by sea. The us army is building floating platforms like this off the coast, where aid will be taken off ships and put into trucks. That floating causeway is expected to be anchored on the beach somewhere near here, where Israeli Forces will secure a distribution area. The us says there will be no american boots on the ground. So the uk is considering whether British Forces should drive the trucks along the causeway that may look Something Like this. But that would mean British Forces being put in harms way on the beaches of gaza, so called wet boots on the ground, potentially at risk from hamas fighters. Hamas at the end of the day could try and interrupt this. I would like to think they wont but i think probably they wont. But its possible that they could. Unfortunately in these sorts of operations, you end up in places you wouldnt want to have gone to. British forces could be deployed from this uk air base in cyprus, but, as of now, it is just an option. There has been no decision and it is yet to pass the Prime Ministers desk. The mod refused to comment. Sending british troops to the beaches of gaza would be a big decision. They would be at risk in a war zone, they would be operating in the holy land for the First Time Since the 1940s. But someone has to drive these trucks and theyve got to make a decision soon, the us says this new aid corridor is going to be up and running by early next month. James landale, bbc news, injerusalem. Joining me now is Brigadierjohn Deverell former senior british officer in the occupied palestinian territories, and former director of Defence Diplomacy at the ministry of defence. Welcome to you. Thank you for being with us. First of all i want to ask you about the ongoing negotiations when it comes to Hostage Release and ceasefire. Just in the past half an hour or so we have had developments from the israeli government, saying they would be willing to put on hold any operation into rafah if there was a Hostage Release, a deal, and we have also seen, in the past hour or so, the release of this new video by hamas, featuring two of those hostages. What is your sense of where this leaves us, where this leaves the negotiations, if this points to significant progress . I would say the first obvious point is there anything to do with Hostage Release is to do with negotiation. I would say that it is an easy win really for the israeli side to make because, since the israelis, two or three or four weeks because, since the israelis, two or three orfour weeks ago, because, since the israelis, two or three or four weeks ago, and because, since the israelis, two or three orfour weeks ago, and give up the ground forces, for the opportunity to amass fighters to spread, so i would say, in many ways, compared to a few weeks ago, a Rafah Operation is much less relevant and in order to do it would be really fair presentation or political purposes on the israeli side to stop it is an easy giveaway for the israelis to say that, i would suggest. For the israelis to say that, i would suggest. For the israelis to say that, i would su est. ,. ,. ,. , would suggest. Many people would ask wh it has would suggest. Many people would ask why it has taken would suggest. Many people would ask why it has taken so would suggest. Many people would ask why it has taken so long would suggest. Many people would ask why it has taken so long for would suggest. Many people would ask why it has taken so long for any why it has taken so long for any kind of deal to be done when there are more than 130 hostages being held by her mass word mac in both israel and hamas blaming each other for not reaching a point where they can both agree. I5 for not reaching a point where they can both agree. Is a for not reaching a point where they can both agree for not reaching a point where they can both agree. Is a former military lan can both agree. Is a former military [an in can both agree. Is a former Military Plan in my can both agree. Is a former Military Plan in my view can both agree. Is a former Military Plan in my view would can both agree. Is a former Military Plan in my view would be can both agree. Is a former Military Plan in my view would be the can both agree. Is a former Military Plan in my view would be the first l plan in my view would be the first option should have been to go for Hostage Release. And then to do the other things that they have done, the operations having secured hostages, but nonetheless that situation in which the israeli war cabinet has got themselves, and so be it. The whole thing is massively regrettable. I would argue we are complicit in the operations, we are supplying weapons, and so i think it is quite right and proper, slightly jumping ahead to the other subject, that at least we are considering, our government is considering putting boots on the ground in order to mitigate the effects of the humanitarian catastrophe. I am glad we are considering that if it is true. ,. ,. , i. True. Do tell us about what you think is the true. Do tell us about what you think is the likelihood true. Do tell us about what you think is the likeliho