The Conservatives have been dealt a devastating double blow after a minister quit over a sex scandal and another party MP announced he was defecting to UKIP.
Cabinet Office minister Brooks Newmark resigned after reportedly sending explicit pictures of himself online to an undercover tabloid newspaper reporter.
His announcement came just hours after Rochester and Strood MP Mark Reckless declared he was joining UKIP leader Nigel Farage's "people's army".
He is the second Conservative to defect to UKIP within a month, joining Clacton MP Douglas Carswell.
Speaking on the BBC's The Andrew Marr show on Sunday, Prime Minister David Cameron said it was "counterproductive and senseless".
Mr Reckless and Mr Farage got further aquainted in a pub on Sunday Mr Reckless was forced to cut short a visit to his constituency by his new party leader on Sunday after local Conservatives angry at his defection turned up and he received hostile questions from members of the public.
For the Tories arriving in Birmingham for their final party conference before the general election in May, there could hardly have been a worse start to the gathering.
Meanwhile, an opinion poll in the Sunday Mirror and Independent on Sunday suggests Mr Farage is more popular than the PM.
The UKIP leader could not contain his delight at the Tory MP's defection The setbacks overshadowed the announcement of plans for a new squeeze on benefits to fund millions of new apprenticeships.
According to the Sunday Mirror, Mr Newmark allegedly exchanged explicit pictures over the internet with a female reporter posing as a Tory PR worker.
Samantha Cameron and the PM arrive in Birmingham for the conference The 56-year-old married father of five tendered his resignation after learning that the newspaper was about to publish details of their exchanges.
He said on Sunday: "I have been a complete fool. I have no one to blame but myself. I have hurt those I care about most. I am so, so sorry. But I just need time with my family."
Fellow Conservative Nadine Dorries told Sky's Murnaghan programme she didn't think the claims are "that big a deal".
Downing Street said that Reading East MP Rob Wilson had been appointed the new Civil Society Minister.
Mr Reckless received an ecstatic reception from UKIP activists at their party conference in Doncaster after he declared he was leaving the Tories.
He accused the leadership of failing to keep its promises on Europe, the economy and immigration.
"People feel ignored, taken for granted, over-taxed, over-regulated, ripped off and lied to," he declared to rapturous applause.
He dismissed the PM's promise of an in/out EU referendum as a "device" designed to deliver the "pre-ordained" result in favour of Britain's continued membership.
Brooks Newmark resigned over claims he sent explicit photos There was deep anger in the Conservative ranks at Mr Reckless's move, with a party spokesman denouncing the defection as "completely illogical".
Mr Reckless's constituency party chairman, Andrew Mackness, said that he was "astonished and disgusted" at the decision, and said he had been given assurances by Mr Reckless that he would not defect.
Like Mr Carswell, Mr Reckless said that he would be standing down as an MP in order to fight the seat as a UKIP candidate in a by-election.
Although he took the Kent constituency with a majority of almost 10,000 at the last general election, he may face a tough battle to return to Westminster.
In his last act as a Tory MP, Mr Reckless rebelled against the Government in the Commons vote on airstrikes against Islamic State.
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