Grant Shapps

Mr Shapps' comments come after CEO Peter Hebblethwaite admitted P&O broke employment law when it sacked 800 workers without notice.

“A lot of these people are basically just anarchists who just want to find a basis upon which to take extremist action" the minister said.

The defection of the MP for Bury South piles even more pressure on the PM, who faces calls to resign from seven MPs angry over party allegations.