Sir Jake Berry, the former Conservative party chair and cabinet minister, has defected to Reform UK, delivering a significant blow to Kemi Badenoch's leadership. Berry, who lost his seat in the 2024 general election, said the Tories had 'abandoned the British people' and called for Reform to form the next government.
Writing in the Sun, Berry said he was leaving the party after 25 years as a member and 14 as an MP, blaming both the Conservatives and Labour for 'wrecking' the country over the past two decades. 'The truth is, the Conservatives have lost their way. They've abandoned their principles. They've abandoned the British people. And they've abandoned me,' he wrote.
Berry is the fifth former Conservative MP to defect to Reform UK and the second ex-cabinet minister, following David Jones. Other defectors include Lee Anderson, Marco Longhi, and Andrea Jenkyns. No sitting Tory MP has yet defected in this parliament, but concerns remain about Suella Braverman's potential move.
Berry, a close ally of Liz Truss and Boris Johnson, served as MP for Rossendale and Darwen until July 2024, when he lost to Labour's Andy MacNae. A Labour spokesperson criticised the defection, linking Berry's new party to Truss's 'reckless economics'.
