A number of LGBT Liberal Democrat members have announced they are leaving the party after MP Phillip Lee dramatically quit the Tories to join the party.

There were gasps in the House of Commons as Lee took a seat next to Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson during prime minister Boris Johnson’s speech ahead of a crucial vote on Brexit on Tuesday evening. It means Johnson no longer has a working majority.

Jennie Rigg, who chaired the Lib Dem LGBT group, told BuzzFeed News that Lee’s voting record proved he was “not a Liberal”. She said he had “problematic” views on gay rights, HIV migrants, and privatising the NHS.

Luke Graham, a member since 2010, told us Lee had a “deeply conservative mindset that did not align with Lib Dem values” and said he was “very disappointed” in Swinson’s decision.

Lee abstained in the 2013 vote on same-sex marriage and sparked controversy in 2014 when he proposed that people coming to settle in Britain should have to first prove they do not have HIV or hepatitis B.

He has also suggested that NHS patients suffering from lifestyle-related diseases, such as Type 2 diabetes, should pay for their prescriptions.

Rigg, who was a member of the Lib Dems for 11 years, tweeted that she had formally resigned from the party just an hour after Lee crossed the floor.