Phillip Lee (politician)

Phillip James Lee (born 28 September 1970) is a British doctor and politician who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Bracknell from 2010 until 2019.

A former member of the Conservative Party, which he left in 2019 to join the Liberal Democrats, he unsuccessfully stood for the neighbouring Wokingham constituency in the 2019 general election.

He polled just 816 votes - all other parties had been put by the wayside when there was a prominent and bitter campaign between Labour, who had imposed an all-women shortlist on the constituency, and the Independent candidate Peter Law, who took the seat.

[14] He lobbied for better transport links into, and across, the region and South West Trains is now increasing passenger rail capacity from Bracknell.

He went on to warn that the current approach to Brexit would damage businesses in his constituency, and that he could not support the government's opposition to Parliament deciding what happens if it rejects the final deal "because doing so breaches such fundamental principles of human rights and Parliamentary sovereignty".

[35] On 3 September 2019, Lee crossed the floor to join the Liberal Democrats during a speech by the Prime Minister over disagreements with the Conservative Party's handling of Brexit.

[37] In his letter of resignation to the Prime Minister, Lee stated that he had "reached the conclusion that it [was] no longer possible to serve [his] constituents' and country's best interests as a Conservative Member of Parliament.

"[38] He went on to state: "Sadly, the Brexit process has helped to transform this once great [Conservative] Party in to something more akin to a narrow faction, where an individual's 'conservatism' is measured by how recklessly one wishes to leave the European Union.

"[40] Lee's admission to the Lib Dems caused a number of LGBT+ members to quit the party, due to their perception of his voting record on LGBT+ rights.

Supporters of Lee's resignation stand at the 2018 People's Vote march.