Reform UK leader says a “well known Labour figure” is set to join to his insurgent party next week
Nigel Farage says a well-known Labour figure will join Reform UK (Image: Getty)
Nigel Farage has revealed that there will be an imminent Labour defection to Reform UK. He made the comment as he announced Robert Jenrick had joined his insurgent party after he was sacked and booted out of the Tories by Kemi Badenoch.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Mr Farage said a Labour politician would switch to Reform next week. It comes as a series of high-profile Conservatives have joined the party.
Mr Farage said: “I’m not for one minute going to tell you that I’ve not been talking to a certain Robert Jenrick for some weeks, some months, as indeed I’ve been talking to many other senior Conservative figures.
“And incidentally, some Labour ones as well, there will be a Labour defection next week which you’ll all be invited to.”
Mr Farage later added that the Labour figure would be “well known”.
Mr Jenrick becomes the latest Tory to join Reform UK after his sacking by Mrs Badenoch.
The Conservative leader said she ousted him due to “irrefutable evidence that he was plotting in secret to defect in a way designed to be as damaging as possible” to his colleagues.
She said on X: “I have sacked Robert Jenrick from the Shadow Cabinet, removed the whip and suspended his party membership with immediate effect.
The Reform UK leader welcomed the former Tory to his insurgent party (Image: Getty)
“I was presented with clear, irrefutable evidence that he was plotting in secret to defect in a way designed to be as damaging as possible to his shadow cabinet colleagues and the wider Conservative Party.
“The British public are tired of political psychodrama and so am I. They saw too much of it in the last government, they’re seeing too much of it in this Government.
“I will not repeat those mistakes.”
A string of Tory figures who have jumped ship to Reform include former chancellor Nadhim Zahawi, Dame Andrea Jenkyns, Jonathan Gullis and Nadine Dorries.
But Mr Farage has been forced to deny his outfit is becoming “the Conservative Party 2.0”.
