On the eve of Reform’s annual conference, the party has dropped another bombshell. Former Tory culture secretary Nadine Dorries has defected to Reform UK – a move Nigel Farage has gushed he is ‘absolutely delighted’ about. In an explosive interview with the Daily Mail, Dorries has declared ‘the Tory party is dead’ – and advised party members to ‘now think the unthinkable and look to the future’.
Dorries’ defection follows the ex-cabinet minister’s three decades as a Conservative party member. As reported by the Mail, her talks with Farage did not involve a guaranteed place in a Reform government. Yet while the once-vociferous Boris Johnson ally is not currently a sitting MP, Dorries has not ruled out a return to the Commons. It is understood that the former top Tory is hoping to use her influence on Farage to help him work with other like-minded Conservatives, perhaps entering into some kind of electoral pact, to prevent the splitting of the right-wing vote. While Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has ruled out a deal with Farage, her one-time leadership rival Robert Jenrick has suggested he would work with Reform UK.
The move comes after a number of Conservative councillors across the country have defected to Reform, with Farage’s party also gaining representatives in both the Senedd and Holyrood after Tories defected. Polls continue to show sustained support for Reform UK, with both Labour and the Tories trailing behind the insurgent group. Just weeks ahead of her own party conference, this is yet more bad news for Badenoch as another one bites the dust…
Comments