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".
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.
Nigel Farage could not contain his delight at Mark Reckless's defection Meanwhile, an opinion poll in the Sunday Mirror and Independent on Sunday suggests Mr Farage is more popular than the PM.
The setbacks overshadowed the announcement of plans for a new squeeze on benefits to fund millions of new apprenticeships.
Samantha Cameron and the PM arrive in Birmingham for the conference According to the Sunday Mirror, Mr Newmark allegedly exchanged explicit pictures over the internet with a female reporter posing as a Tory PR worker.
The 56-year-old married father of five tendered his resignation after learning that the newspaper was about to publish details of their exchanges.
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.
Brooks Newmark resigned over claims he sent explicit photos "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.
There was deep anger in the Conservative ranks at Mr Reckless's move, with a party spokesman denouncing the defection as "completely illogical".
Mark Reckless was a close ally of fellow defector Douglas Carswell 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 wouldn't 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.
Samantha Cameron was all smiles as she arrived in Birmingham In his last act as a Tory MP, Mr Reckless rebelled against the Government in the Commons vote on air strikes against Islamic State militants.
Conservative Party chairman Grant Shapps said: "Even late last night he was leaving voicemails with people saying how much he was looking forward to coming to a campaign day this Sunday here in Birmingham Northfield for one of our candidates.
"People will come to their own conclusions about whether this is therefore a trustworthy individual."
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