Nadine Dorries Defects to Reform UK, Declares Tory Party ‘Dead’
Former Conservative minister Nadine Dorries has made headlines once again, this time by officially defecting to Reform UK. Her decision was revealed just hours before the Reform party conference in Birmingham, and it has added even more momentum to Nigel Farage’s movement, which has been steadily climbing in the polls.
Dorries, who was once a close ally of Boris Johnson and served as both Culture Secretary and Health Minister under his leadership, has now declared that the Conservative Party “is dead.” In her interview with the Daily Mail , she said that members needed to “think the unthinkable and look to the future.” According to her, the party had changed so much over the years that it no longer resembled the one she joined in the mid-1990s. She insisted that her core values remained the same, but the Conservatives had abandoned those values.
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Her defection comes after months of speculation and quiet talks, with reports suggesting discussions took place behind closed doors at a Mayfair club. Dorries is not alone in making the leap. Several high-profile Conservatives, including former Welsh Secretary David Jones and ex-Tory Chairman Sir Jake Berry, have also crossed over to Reform in recent months. The pattern of defections has been described as a significant boost for Farage’s party as it positions itself as the main challenger to the Conservatives on the right of British politics.
For Dorries, the decision did not come lightly. She described it as “the most difficult decision” she had ever had to make, claiming it took twelve painful months to come to terms with it. She has long been vocal about her dissatisfaction with the Conservatives, especially after the removal of Boris Johnson, whom she still defends passionately. She has accused her former colleagues of being “regicidal and self-serving” for forcing him out.
In explaining why she chose Reform, she pointed to growing concerns about crime, immigration, and the state of public services. She said that many communities now live under a “sense of dread” and argued that only Nigel Farage had the “answers, knowledge, and will” to deliver meaningful change. Though she admitted she and Farage would not see eye to eye on everything, she stressed they were united on big issues such as law and order, immigration, public spending, and support for Ukraine.
Reaction to her defection has been sharp. Reform leaders welcomed her as a valuable asset, while Labour called her move an example of incoherence, pointing out that she once championed the Online Safety Bill but is now joining a party that wants it scrapped. The Liberal Democrats poked fun at both her and the Conservatives, while the Greens suggested her move was unsurprising, given her political track record.
Whatever the reactions, one thing is clear: Nadine Dorries’ move marks another major shift in Britain’s political landscape. Her defection is being seen not only as a personal rebuke to the Conservatives but also as a sign of Reform UK’s growing power ahead of the next election.
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