David Campbell Bannerman, a veteran Brexiteer and former deputy leader of Ukip who later served as a Conservative MEP, has defected to Reform UK, declaring that party leader Nigel Farage is the country's 'last hope' and could become a 'revolutionary prime minister'. In an interview with the Sunday Express, he said he has 'given up' on the Tories, accusing the party of treating its members with 'arrogance bordering on contempt'.
From Tory insider to Reform advocate
Campbell Bannerman was a strong supporter of Boris Johnson and opposed his ousting. He co-founded the Conservative Democratic Organisation, which pushed for greater powers for local Tory branches to choose prospective MPs. However, he now believes the party is 'dying because it has driven out its lifeblood - ordinary members - treating them as stupid, ignorant and unworthy of consultation'. He warned that the 'Conservative party will always be woke-leaning and Left-leaning' because members have not been 'put in charge'.
Reform as the 'true Conservative party'
Campbell Bannerman sees Reform as the 'true Conservative party' but argues it is also 'far more than an alternate Blue party – it is the party of patriots'. He admitted that most of the Conservatives he respected have already joined Reform UK and said he 'may be one of the last to throw in the towel'. He hopes a Reform government will make the most of Brexit opportunities that have yet to be grasped and get remaining EU laws off the statute book. 'We need to be refreshingly different,' he said. 'We need to scrap a lot of these EU laws that are destroying the economy in Germany and France and throughout the EU.'
Farage's leadership praised
Confident that Farage has what it takes to be a successful prime minister, Campbell Bannerman said: 'I have known Nigel a long time and have always admired his courage, tenacity, and political instincts.' He now wants to work to help Reform deliver a 'revolutionary new government'. The defection comes as the Conservatives fight to reclaim their position as the leading party on the centre-Right. New polling by Ipsos shows that when people were asked who was the 'main opposition to the Labour Government', 42% said Reform UK and 28% named the Conservatives. However, this represents a seven-point drop for Reform and a seven-point gain since May for Kemi Badenoch's party.
