Danny Kruger, the Conservative MP for East Wiltshire, has defected to Reform UK, declaring the Tory party 'is over' and that Nigel Farage is the 'new custodian' of conservatism. Kruger, who previously served as political secretary to Boris Johnson, said the Conservative party was 'over as a national party, over as the principal opposition to the left'. He becomes the first sitting MP to defect to Reform since its poll surge this summer.
In a statement, Kruger accused the Tories of clinging to 'defunct institutions' and operating under 'sham unity' since last year's general election defeat, leaving them in 'stasis'. He said it was even too late to save the party under a new leader such as Robert Jenrick, whose leadership bid he had supported. 'We on the right of politics face a choice,' Kruger said. 'To embrace the change that is happening or to go down to a deserved demise.'
Kruger, 50, the son of restaurateur Prue Leith, has been appointed Reform UK's head of 'preparing for government'. Standing alongside Farage, he said the party was now 'getting serious as a government in waiting' and all future plans would be fully costed. He distanced himself from earlier comments that Reform would 'spend money like drunken sailors', noting that Farage had since committed to welfare reform.
Kruger said he had 'no idea' whether other Conservative MPs were in talks with Reform, but hoped his former colleagues would 'follow me'. Farage said the party keeps negotiations under wraps, adding that no one had any clue Kruger would be joining. Responding to the defection, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said it was not about her personally and that she would not be blown off course. One Tory MP described the news as 'very upsetting' and a 'terribly bad look' for the party.
