East Midlands MP claims Robert Jenrick joining Reform UK shows the end of the Conservative party
Jenrick, the Newark MP, switched to Reformafter being sacked by the Tories
The MP for Boston and Skegness has said that Robert Jenrick’s defection to Reform is a ‘clear sign’ that the Tory party has realised it is finished.
Newark MP Robert Jenrick defected to Reform UK, hours after being sacked from the Tories for plotting his departure.
Richard Tice (Reform UK), told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that he was “delighted” to welcome Mr Jenrick into the party.
He added: “He’ll bring great additional expertise to the team. He obviously brings government experience.
“He believes in our principles and values and it’s a clear sign that very senior people in politics in the Tory party understand that, essentially, Reform are the main challenger to Labour and that Reform are very likely to win the next general election.”
Mr Tice, who is also deputy leader of Reform UK, defended the fact that many members of the party are former Conservative politicians.
He added: “At the end of the day, people are coming to us from all walks of life – from all parties – who believe in our principles and values.
“The Conservative party is not Conservative. It’s as simple as that. They are basically a sort of soggy Lib Dems so, in a sense, that’s one of the reasons why we’re doing so well in the polls.
“People criticise us for not having enough experience and we’ve identified a wealth of experience.”