The insurgent party unveiled a steady stream of Conservative defections to Reform UK amid the rival party’s conference.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage (Image: Getty)
Reform UK has unveiled a wave of 20 Tory councillor defections this morning in another blow to Kemi Badenoch. Nigel Farage‘s party started making announcements shortly after 7am as the Tory leader kicked off a round of media interviews on the third day of her party’s Manchester conference.
In a post on X, Mr Farage said: “This morning we announced that 20 Conservative Councillors have defected to Reform UK. The Conservative Party is finished.”
It comes after Reform confirmed it had gained a second London assembly member on Saturday, and a former donor to Mrs Badenoch on Sunday.
The list includes councillors from across the country, as well as a former Tory Party press officer and a former government special advisor to the Tory Party’s chairman.
Ms Badenoch batted away the further losses (Image: Getty)
Despite the bruising assault, Mrs Badenoch brushed off the latest defections to the insurgent party.
She told ITV’s Good Morning Britain: “I’m always very sorry to lose people from the party, but as you can see from this conference, we are changing the Conservative Party talking about a stronger economy, stronger borders.
“Reform is a party that wants to spend more on welfare. We know there’s some Conservatives who agree with those policies, on increased welfare, on nationalisation and if that’s what they think is right for them, then we’re sorry to lose them. But we need to make it very clear that we are the party of fiscal responsibility.”
She added: “Just last year, we had MPs jumping to Labour because Labour was doing well in the polls. They’re not doing so well now.
“There are some people who will leave because all they want to do is win elections. They don’t know what they’re winning the elections for.
“We are making it very clear what we are doing this for. It is for the people of the United Kingdom. We want to give them a stronger economy. We want to give them stronger borders.
“We’re the only party tough enough and competent enough to do both. It’s going to be a long journey back from a historic defeat and on very long, difficult journeys you will lose some people on the way. But if these people cannot stick with us because opposition is difficult, then they’re not going to be able to stick with us when government gets difficult.”
Full list of Reform councillor defections
The full list of Tory to Reform councillor defections:
- Mark Whittington – South Kesteven
- Brett Rosehill – Hertsmere
- Caroline Clapper – Hertsmere
- Duane Farr – Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole
- Denise Howard – East Riding of Yorkshire
- Debbie Soloman – Rushcliffe
- Cameron Adams – Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole
- Aaron Elliott – Gravesham
- Gary Harding – Gravesham
- Emma Elliott – Gravesham
- David Beattie – Gravesham
- Barry Dunning – Hampshire
- Robbie Lammas – Medway
- Paul Miller – Basingstoke
- Jack Rydeheard – Bury
- Mathew Forshaw – South Ribble
- Karl Arthur – North Yorkshire
- Richard Craddock – Cannock Chase
- Heike Sowa – Suffolk
A Reform UK source refused to rule out further defections over the coming 24 hours ahead of the Tory leader’s keynote speech in Manchester.
Mrs Badenoch also once again ruled out working with Reform in order to oust Labour at the next general election.
Asked about calls by ex-Tory MP Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg not to “split the right”, she told Times Radio: “I’m not splitting the right. There is no deal to be done with Reform.
“They want to increase welfare. This conference is about living within our means. That’s how we get a stronger economy. They want to nationalise.
“What kind of alliance are we having with them?
“The only thing that they have in common with us, really, is around immigration. We know that we need stronger borders, but we’ve got a plan that will work.
“Their plan, which was copied from some announcements, I think, that we made previously – they hadn’t done the details behind it.”
