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Andrew Rosindell has officially left the Conservative Party to join Reform UK. Rosindell, the MP for Romford and former shadow minister, criticized the Conservatives for being irreversibly tied to the faults of earlier administrations and unwilling to take meaningful responsibility for their poor choices. Prior to his decision, he spoke with Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, who described Rosindell as “a great patriot” and praised his addition to the party.
This defection follows a recent pattern, coming shortly after Robert Jenrick shifted to Reform UK as well, just hours after being dismissed from the shadow cabinet by Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch amid allegations of plotting to defect. Rosindell expressed frustration that the interests of his constituents have been repeatedly neglected. He voiced concern over what he calls a “generation of managed decline,” stressing the need for urgent and radical reforms to reverse previous harmful policies and chart a new direction for Britain.
Rosindell, who joined the Conservative Party at the age of 14 and served as shadow minister for foreign affairs, also highlighted the controversy over the Chagos Islands. He condemned both the Labour government’s decision to transfer the territory to Mauritius and the Conservatives’ failure, both in government and opposition, to effectively challenge this move. Calling it a betrayal of British sovereignty, he stated: “Both the government and the opposition have been complicit in the surrender of this sovereign British territory to a foreign power.” Farage echoed this sentiment, blaming Tory dishonesty and hypocrisy over the issue as a key factor driving Rosindell’s switch.
Reform UK’s leader emphasized that while welcoming Rosindell, the party will not act as a fallback for every Conservative MP considering defection and will cease accepting newcomers after local elections in May. Meanwhile, Conservative sources pointed out that Rosindell had been threatening to leave for months but denied it until recently, underscoring their focus remains on holding the Labour government accountable. In response to these developments, Labour Party chair Anna Turley criticized the alliance between Reform UK and former Conservatives, dismissing it as an attempt to revive a failing Tory legacy, while a Liberal Democrat source labeled Rosindell’s move as a mere change of political label driven by career concerns
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