Nadine Dorries has defected to Reform UK, declaring the Conservative party “is dead” on the eve of the rival party’s conference. The former culture secretary, a close ally of Boris Johnson, resigned from the Tories after being blocked from a peerage and has now joined Reform after months of secret talks.
Dorries is the third former cabinet minister to join Reform, following Jake Berry and David Jones. Other former Tory MPs including Andrea Jenkyns, Marco Longhi and Adam Holloway have also defected. Reform leader Nigel Farage welcomed Dorries, calling her a “hugely successful politician”.
The defection comes as Reform enjoys a double-digit poll lead and reports a surge in membership from 80,000 to nearly 240,000. The party has also attracted almost £1m in donations from former Tory donors in the second quarter, including £500,000 from property billionaire Nick Candy, according to Electoral Commission figures.
A Labour spokesperson criticised Dorries, saying she “backed Boris Johnson through thick and thin despite the partying in Downing Street”. They added that joining a party that wants to scrap the online safety bill she introduced “is a perfect illustration of how incoherent Reform are”.
Conservative chair Kevin Hollinrake said the donor figures “underline the continued strength of support behind the Conservative party”, adding that “people recognise and believe in Kemi’s mission of Conservative renewal”.
