Ex-Tory chairman defects to Reform

Ex-Tory president Sir Jake Berry has defected to Reform, successful the latest stroke to the Conservatives.

The erstwhile MP for Rossendale and Darwen, who served arsenic Northern Powerhouse curate nether Boris Johnson and mislaid his spot past year, said helium had defected to Nigel Farage's enactment due to the fact that the Tories had "lost their way".

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Reform UK confirmed the defection to Sky News, which was archetypal breached by The Sun.

Speaking to the paper, Sir Jake said Mr Farage's enactment was the "last accidental to propulsion Britain backmost from terminal decline".

"Our streets are wholly lawless," helium said.

"Migration is retired of control. Taxes are going done the roof.

"And time aft day, I perceive from radical successful my assemblage and beyond who accidental the aforesaid thing: 'This isn't the Britain I grew up in'."

Sir Jake accused his erstwhile enactment of "abandoning the British people" but said helium was not "giving up".

"I'm staying. And I'm fighting.

"Fighting for the Britain I privation my kids, and 1 day, my grandkids, to turn up in."

Mr Farage welcomed what helium said was "a precise brave decision" by Sir Jake.

"His admittance that the Conservative authorities helium was portion of broke the state is unprecedented and principled," helium added.

A Conservative Party spokesperson said: "Reform enactment expanding the benefits measure by removing the two-child cap, and nationalising British industry. By opposition the Conservatives, nether caller leadership, volition support making the lawsuit for dependable money, little taxes and bringing the payment measure nether control.

"We privation Jake good successful his caller precocious spend, precocious taxation party."

Sir Jake's defection to Reform comes conscionable days aft erstwhile Conservative furniture curate David Jones joined Reform UK, which continues to pb successful the polls.

Mr Jones, who was MP for Clwyd West from 2005 until lasting down successful 2024, said helium had discontinue the Tories aft "more than 50 years of continuous membership".

Sir Jake was the MP Rossendale and Darwen successful Lancashire betwixt 2010 and 2024, erstwhile helium was defeated by Labour's Andy MacNae.

He held respective ministerial posts including successful the Department for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Energy and Climate Change and the Cabinet Office.

He was besides president of the Conservative Party from September to October 2022, nether Liz Truss.

Announcing his defection - which comes a twelvemonth aft the Tories suffered their worst ever predetermination decision - Sir Jake said "Britain was broken" and "the Conservative governments I was portion of stock the blame".

"We present person a taxation strategy that punishes hard enactment and ambition," helium said.

"Just this week, we saw grounds numbers of our brightest and champion radical leaving Britain due to the fact that they can't spot a aboriginal here. At the aforesaid time, our benefits strategy is pulling successful the world's mediocre with nary program for integration and nary power implicit who comes in.

"If you were deliberately trying to wreck the country, you'd beryllium hard-pressed to bash a amended occupation than the past 2 decades of Labour and Tory rule.

"Millions of people, conscionable similar me, privation a state they tin beryllium arrogant of again. The lone mode we get that is with Reform successful government. That's wherefore I've resigned from the Conservative Party. I'm present backing Reform UK and moving to marque them the adjacent enactment of government."

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He added: "And with Nigel Farage starring Reform, we've got idiosyncratic the state tin really trust. He doesn't alteration his views to acceptable the temper of the day. And radical respect that. So bash I. That's wherefore I judge helium should beryllium our adjacent premier minister."

A Labour Party spokesperson said: "Not contented with taking proposal from Liz Truss, Nigel Farage has present tempted her Tory Party president into his ranks.

"It's wide Farage wants Liz Truss's reckless economics, which crashed our system and sent mortgages spiralling, to beryllium Reform's blueprint for Britain. It's a look for catastrophe and moving radical would beryllium near paying the price."