Nigel Farage has declared that the "centre right is uniting" after welcoming Conservative MP Andrew Rosindell to Reform UK, marking the second major defection from the Tories in just seven days.
A Stunning Defection Over Chagos Policy
Andrew Rosindell, the Conservative MP for Romford since 2001, announced his resignation as a shadow foreign office minister on Monday, 19 January 2026. He pointed directly to the government's handling of sovereignty for the Chagos Islands as the catalyst for his dramatic move.
Rosindell stated he could no longer support the Conservative Party due to its "failure" on the issue of Chagossian self-determination and the decision to hand over sovereignty of the islands to Mauritius. "It's a total failure of the British state to protect British interests," he told reporters in Westminster.
‘This Man Has to Be Our Next Prime Minister’
In a powerful endorsement of the Reform UK leader, Rosindell publicly declared his support for Nigel Farage to lead the country. "This man has to be our next prime minister," he stated emphatically.
He further criticised the current political landscape, saying, "Our country needs reform. It needs change, and we need to rescue our nation from the calamity of this socialist government." Rosindell asserted that both the Conservative and Labour parties were complicit in the Chagos decision.
Reaction and Fallout in Westminster
Farage, who said he has known Rosindell for over 25 years, welcomed the defection as another sign of momentum. "Another shadow cabinet member has joined us," he noted.
Despite his departure, Rosindell expressed no personal malice towards his former colleagues. "I have many, many friends in the Conservative Party… they’ve all been incredibly kind. They understand why I’ve done this," he explained. He added that he had not yet spoken to Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch since his announcement but wished her "all the best personally".
A Conservative Party source suggested Rosindell had threatened to defect for months, but had denied the move as recently as Saturday. The source framed the departure as another example of Farage doing Badenoch's "spring cleaning", echoing her comment following last Thursday's defection of Robert Jenrick.
This second high-profile defection in a week signals deepening fractures on the right of British politics and poses a significant challenge to the Conservative Party's unity as it contends with the rising influence of Reform UK.
