Who gets to defect to Reform — and who doesn’t

LONDON — Not every disaffected Tory is welcome in Nigel Farage’s Reform UK. 

Wannabe defectors face interviews, background checks and social media sweeps before being allowed to cross the floor. 

Reform Lincolnshire Mayor Andrea Jenkyns told POLITICO that she went through “two interview processes” and had her entire online footprint vetted before she defected to the party in November 2024. 

“They’ve got to be aligned to our values: family, community, country — and the belief that Reform is the way forward, with Nigel at the helm,” she added.

The question of who gets in — and which backbencher might go next — has animated Westminster since Danny Kruger’s announcement last month that he was jumping ship from the Conservatives, making him the first sitting Tory MP to defect to Farage’s camp.

Who makes the cut – and who doesn’t 

The line isn’t always clear. Reform MP Lee Anderson has already publicly ruled out Boris Johnson — who he labeled as “too nice” and wanting “to please everybody.”

At the same time, “none of the One Nations who ruined the Conservatives” would be allowed in, said Jenkyns. 

However, critics within Westminster accuse Farage of prioritizing headlines by selecting recognizable figures over consistency in his vetting strategy. 

“There is intellectual inconsistency in the people that Reform are taking,” said one Conservative party adviser, who was granted anonymity to speak freely.

This person pointed to Nadine Dorries — architect of the Online Safety Bill — and Jake Berry, a net-zero enthusiast, who were welcomed into the party in September and July, respectively, despite Reform’s history of opposing both.

Reform Lincolnshire Mayor Andrea Jenkyns told POLITICO that she went through “two interview processes” and had her entire online footprint vetted before she defected to the party in November 2024.  | Oli Scarff/AFP via Getty Images

“These guys are really just helping to get Nigel back into the headlines,” they said. “But ultimately, it’s Nigel that calls the shots and Nigel who will decide the policy.”

A Reform special adviser dismissed Conservative party members as “super irrelevant,” adding that they “couldn’t care less what they think.”

The quiet before the switch 

On the Tory benches, defections are not a surprise. 

So far, 16 former Tories have made the leap, with ex-Cabinet minister David Jones among the most prominent. 

“I’d been a member of the party for over 50 years,” Jones told POLITICO. “It’s not a minor thing — it’s a very big deal to leave a party that you’ve been associated with for the whole of your adult life.”

A Reform special adviser dismissed Conservative party members as “super irrelevant,” adding that they “couldn’t care less what they think.” | Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

“I couldn’t really do much more than write to the party chair, Richard Fuller,” he said. “I told him in October I will not be renewing in January. He had three months’ notice, and I didn’t get a reply to my email.”

Jones said he realized he had spent “around half of the last parliament opposing” his own government. He pointed to the Windsor Framework and the Rwanda Bill as particular pain points. 

For Jenkyns — who now calls Reform her “natural home” — the decision to defect came down to what she described as the Conservatives’ reckless spending, failed migration policies, and “the way they treated Boris, who was a friend.”

Many defectors believe the Conservatives have morphed into “a blue-rinsed version of the Liberal Democrats,” said Jones. That theme, he added, often comes up in private conversations with MPs still considering whether to jump.

Reform voters welcome them all

Following the announcement of Kruger’s defection, Labour argued that “every Conservative who defects to Reform ties Nigel Farage more closely to their record of failure.”

However, polling suggests that Reform voters aren’t worried. According to More in Common, 58 percent believe the party should accept former Conservatives. Just under a third disagree.

“It’s very unlikely to be a problem, because the vast majority of Reform voters have come themselves from the Conservatives,” says Jane Green, director at Nuffield Politics Research Centre.

Though Tory defectors might not be too controversial to the party, Green said that there will be a line for Reform.

“They need to demonstrate that they have responsible policy makers with some experience of governing to reassure voters,” she said. “So in my mind, the line should be competent, trustworthy, and history of delivery in government. What they want to avoid is obviously anybody who can’t bring credibility.” 

Kruger managed to grab headlines for Farage last month. With the Tory conference around the corner, many in Westminster are watching for the next defection — and wondering whether Farage has another move up his sleeve to steal the party’s thunder.