Boris Johnson ally Nadine Dorries latest Tory to defect to Reform UK

Former Conservative civilization secretary Nadine Dorries has go the latest high-profile defection to Reform UK.

Boris Johnson loyalist Ms Dorries, who resigned from the House of Commons successful 2023, said she was joining Nigel Farage's party, said she made the determination due to the fact that her erstwhile enactment was present "dead".

Politics latest: Home Office bid to hold Epping edifice lawsuit rejected, says council

Writing successful the Daily Mail, she said: "The clip for enactment is present and I judge that the lone person who has the answers, the cognition and the volition to present is Nigel Farage."

She went connected to accidental it was "time for change" and "time marque Britain large again".

"My determination to permission the enactment I've served for much than 30 years is perchance the astir hard I've ever had to make, and it has taken maine 12 agonising months to reach."

The determination volition bolster Reform UK arsenic it prepares to big its league successful Birmingham connected Friday and Saturday.

Ms Dorries follows Sir Jake Berry, a erstwhile Tory Party chairman, successful joining Mr Farage's party.

Tom Pursglove, a erstwhile Conservative minister, said helium is was amazed to spot the defection.

He told Sophy Ridge connected the Politics Hub: "Nadine has been rather unhappy for a agelong play of time. Obviously she near parliament earlier the extremity of the term, truthful this doesn't truly astonishment me.

"I hatred seeing Conservative colleagues leaving the Conservative fold. It pains maine erstwhile I spot idiosyncratic I respect and respect and really I would see Nadine to beryllium a friend."

He added: "That doesn't alteration present due to the fact that she's successful different enactment - but I hatred seeing this, it's terrible."

A Conservative Party spokesperson said: "We privation Nadine well."

A Labour Party spokesperson added: "Nadine Dorries says the Tory Party is dormant - arsenic 1 of the radical who helped to termination it, she should know.

Read more:
Angela Rayner's aboriginal is retired of her control
Reform to clasp ballot connected transgender prisoners astatine enactment conference

"She backed Boris Johnson done heavy and bladed contempt the partying successful Downing Street during the pandemic portion radical couldn't spot their loved ones. And present she wants to assistance unleash the aforesaid chaos the Tories inflicted connected Britain by joining Nigel Farage's Reform."

They added: "Nadine Dorries has gone connected rather a governmental travel - from being the curate who introduced the Online Safety Bill to joining a enactment that wants to scrap it without having immoderate thought however to regenerate its protections for children and adults.

"It's a cleanable illustration of however incoherent Reform are - each anger, nary answers, with contradictions gathering by the day."

A Liberal Democrat root said: "We don't cognize who to consciousness much atrocious for, Kemi Badenoch oregon Nigel Farage."