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conservative Andrew Rosindell MP and Shadow Foreign Secretary Follow Robert Jenrick and defected to reform Britain, another blow to Britain Kemi Badnock.
just a few days later Former shadow attorney general quits Conservative Party join in Nigel Faragetroops, launching a fierce attack on his former party.
Rosindell cited the Conservative Party’s stance on the Chagos Islands as the main reason for his defection, arguing that Reform Britain was now “the only political movement truly willing to fight for Britain’s best interests”.
He said a “clear red line” for him was “the Conservative Party’s failure, both in power and more recently in opposition, to actively hold the government to account on issues of self-determination in Chagos and the defense of UK sovereignty”.
The Romford MP also claimed the Conservatives were “irreparably linked to the mistakes of the previous government and unwilling to take meaningful responsibility for the bad decisions they made”.
He added: “The views and concerns of the majority of the British people must no longer be marginalized. Our country has experienced a generation of controlled decline.
“Radical action is needed now to reverse the damaging decisions of the past and chart a new course for Britain – one that firmly puts the interests of the British people first.”
The latest Tory defection comes after Mr Farage insisted at the weekend that reform was “not a charity to come to the rescue of every panicked Tory MP”. He warned that any potential defectors must publicly admit that the previous Conservative government “wrecked the country”.
Announcing Mr Rossindell’s defection, the reformist leader said: “Andrew is a great patriot. The Conservatives’ lies and hypocrisy over the Chagos betrayal have brought him to the breaking point and we are delighted to welcome him to our ranks.”
“He will be a great addition to our team ahead of the May 7 election.”
Mr Rosindell was first elected in 2001 but is understood to have asked friends as early as last autumn whether it was time to switch to the reform side.
It is understood that one sticking point is the fate of Margaret Thatcher House, the company’s Romford headquarters officially opened by Baroness Thatcher, a woman Mr Rosindell has long remembered.
last week, Mr Jenrick defected to Reform Britain after him Dramatic sacking as Tory frontbencher and kicked out of the Conservative Party.
He launched an extraordinary attack on his former colleague at a press conference in Westminster former shadow attorney general It said the party had “betrayed voters and members” and “denied or been dishonest” about its record.
He said he wanted to join Reform Britain Because the Conservative Party is here Kemi Badnock Failure to make changes after 2024 election debacle, thinks country needs now Nigel Farage.
In the days after Mr Jenrick’s defection, the Tories put 11 MPs on ” defection watch list Amid fears more may follow him in reforming Britain – A list featuring Mr. Rosindel.
A senior Tory source said in response to news of his defection independent: “Rossindel has been threatening to defect for months, denying this was the case until Saturday. Kemi said Farage was doing some spring cleaning, which is another good example.
“The Conservatives have supported Rosindale through much trouble and his response has been to stab his friends, colleagues and campaigners in the back. He welcomes reform. We will not be distracted from holding this disastrous Labor government to account.”
Another source close to the leadership added: “We have a responsibility to look after a very troublesome man but now he has become Nigel’s problem.”
But Mr Rossindell was popular among the Conservative Party, with many future MPs and special advisers finding their first jobs there. He was one of only two Conservatives to win against Tony Blair in 2001 and was known as “Mr Romford” for his close links with the Essex town where he grew up and represented.
Former councilor Alex Stafford said: “I worked for Andrew for many years. You won’t find a harder working community champion than Romford. Nonetheless, I think his analysis of this is wrong.”
Party insiders are now convinced that former home secretary Suella Braverman could be the next to jump to the reform side.
After Mr Jenrick’s defection, Ms Badenock sought to play down talk of more MPs quitting the party, insisting “almost every former supporter of Rob’s has come to me to apologize”.
She also said his decision to leave the party would bring stability to the Conservative Party. the times: “We have been unstable for too long and traitors are Farage’s problem now, not mine. He has to be careful.”
When Mr Jenrick was asked if he knew how many Tory colleagues would follow him to Mr Farage’s party, he told the BBC: “I don’t know, I haven’t spoken to colleagues or asked them to do that.”
The reformist leader said his party would no longer accept any defectors after local elections on May 7. this telegraph Weekend: “Any Conservative MP who is still holding on to hope that the party can recover and is waiting until May 8 to try to leave this sinking ship, they don’t understand how quickly things are changing in this country.
“Trying to use reform as a lifeboat to save one’s own political interests will not work. We have no interest in saving political failures.”
But Labor chair Anna Turley said in response to Mr Rosindale’s defection that “the stench of a failed and dying Conservative Party is now engulfing the reform wing”.
“The Conservatives have brought public services to their knees and Nigel Farage is now unconditionally trying to restore their disastrous record. The public will not be fooled: the Conservatives have failed Britain and reformists want a repeat of the past,” she said.