Another Tory ex-Cabinet minister on ‘defection watch’ after Suella Braverman stop for Reform
Another Tory ex-minister is on ‘defection watch’ after Suella Braverman quit for Reform.
Nigel Farage paraded the latest switcher at a press conference yesterday – although Kemi Badenoch shrugged off the loss of the former Home Secretary.
There is speculation that more MPs are considering their options, after Mr Farage set a May 7 deadline for defections.
Conservative frontbencher Katie Lam – an ally of Robert Jenrick and seen as a rising star – has told friends she has no intention of crossing, despite heavy briefing from Reform.
However, Tory sources are understood to be monitoring ex-Cabinet minister Gavin Williamson.
Sir Gavin surprised many by holding on to his Stone, Great Wyrley and Penkridge seat at the general election in 2024.
He was greatly assisted by the Reform candidate pulling out of the contest at the last moment and backing him – although Sir Gavin denied ‘dirty tricks’.
Nigel Farage paraded the latest switcher at a press conference yesterday – although Kemi Badenoch (pictured) shrugged off the loss
Another Tory ex-minister is on ‘defection watch’ after Suella Braverman (pictured with Mr Farage last night) quit for Reform
Allies of Mrs Badenoch are understood to be monitoring ex-Cabinet minister Gavin Williamson (pictured giving a Covid press briefing in 2021)
The constituency will be one of Mr Farage’s top targets at the next election, with Sir Gavin’s 5,000 majority looking vulnerable.
Sir Gavin did not immediately respond to requests for comment this morning, although Reform sources insisted they had not been speaking to him.
There has been some concern in Reform circles about taking on more former Conservatives, after recent switches by Robert Jenrick, Andrew Rosindell and Nadhim Zahawi.
Ms Braverman defected to Reform UK yesterday with an attack on the Tories after claims she had mental health problems.
The Conservatives were forced to retract a statement attacking their former MP following a backlash.
The party’s response to the latest defection initially included the sentence: ‘The Conservatives did all we could to look after Suella’s mental health, but she was clearly very unhappy.’ But that was pulled an hour and a half later, having been ‘sent out in error’.
Brian Dow, deputy chief executive of the Rethink Mental Illness charity, criticised the statement and accused the Tories of ‘trivialising’ mental health and using it as a ‘political football’.
‘Employers should never disclose any details about the mental health of their employees or former staff,’ he said. ‘Doing so says far more about them than the person they are referring to.’
There has been some concern in Reform circles about taking on more former Conservatives, after recent switches by Robert Jenrick (pictured), Andrew Rosindell and Nadhim Zahawi
At a press conference last night, Mr Farage said Reform UK would not ‘lower ourselves’ to ‘abusive’ jibes.
After outlining her reasons for leaving Mrs Badenoch’s party, Ms Braverman said: ‘When I diagnosed all of these problems after the last general election, the leader herself said that I was having a nervous breakdown, something she seems to have repeated again today. As Nigel said, those attacks say more about them than they do about me.’
