Robert Jenrick unveils more information about the person set to join Reform in devastating moment for Prime Minister.
New information has been revealed about a top Labour politician set to defect to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK. The upcoming change comes after several high-profile defections from the Conservative Party rocked Westminster, with Nadhim Zahawi and then Robert Jenrick making the leap last week.
Now Mr Jenrick has confirmed to a national radio channel that the defector will be a “former Labour MP”. Mr Jenrick stood against the current leader of the Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch, losing a vote of members and being relegated to second place. He then went on to serve as shadow justice secretary, before being caught out planning to defect to Reform last week.
Mrs Badenoch then sacked him from her Shadow Cabinet before withdrawing the whip, ahead of his defection later that day.
The defection of a Labou figure will be a huge boost for Nigel Farage (Image: Getty)
Speaking to Times Radio on Monday, the former Tory frontbencher said: “There are some people in the party who have come from the Conservative Party. There are many people who have come from other political parties as well.
He added: “There may be a former Labour MP joining the party in the days ahead.”
Speculation has been mounting over who will be the next politician to make the leap to Reform after Andrew Rosindell, the now-former Conservative MP for Romford, jumped over the weekend.
Keir Starmer faces a huge blow, with the defector being a ‘former Labour MP’ (Image: Getty)
Mr Farage’s party has been surging ahead in the polls, occupying the top post in more than 100 surveys. The Tories and Labour have been relegated to second and third in most polls.
The raft of defections from the Conservatives to Reform has prompted Mr Farage to declare a deadline for Tory defections.
The Reform UK leader said he would not welcome any more Tory MPs or councillors after May 7. It comes after he faced accusations from Labour and the Liberal Democrats that his party was becoming Tory-lite.
Taking on a former Labour MP would mark a significant shift in his party’s defection strategy so far. No MPs, current or former, have confirmed to the Daily Express that they are set to make the move, so all eyes will be on press conferences by Mr Farage later this week.