Tory-Reform Spat Over ‘Unsurprising’ Jake Berry Defection – Guido Fawkes

Tory-Reform Spat Over ‘Unsurprising’ Jake Berry Defection

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Former Tory party chairman Jake Berry’s defection to Reform last night has led to mixed reaction – and certainly no surprise. The Tories are responding in an unusually punchy fashion this time…

His local Rossendale and Darwen Conservative Association has this morning put out an atypically fiery statement:

“We are disappointed, though not surprised, by Jake’s decision to defect to Reform UK.

It marks the culmination of a long drift away from the values of the Conservative Party – values that helped Jake win the trust of constituents across Rossendale and Darwen over 14 years. His defection says far more about him than it does about the modern Conservative Party.

The truth is that Jake never truly recovered from the downfall of Liz Truss – a Prime Minister whose brief and chaotic tenure he enthusiastically supported. That period marked the beginning of his disengagement, both from the Parliamentary party and from the serious business of representing his constituents.

His decision to abandon the Party that gave him his platform, indeed his career, will be seen by many as a betrayal – not just of Conservative members, but of the voters who returned him under a Conservative banner.

We Conservatives remain committed to rebuilding trust and delivering for everyone across Rossendale and Darwen. Our focus is on the future, not the political grievances of the past.”

Reform councillor Darren Grimes told Times Radio this morning that another former Cabinet minister will defect to Reform shortly. Got to keep the momentum up, one to watch…