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Three former Conservative MPs have defected to Reform, a source in Nigel Farage’s party has confirmed.
Jonathan Gullis, who represented Stoke-on-Trent North, Lia Nici, who served as Grimsby MP, and former Bolton West Tory MP Chris Green have all joined “on their own accord online”, a Reform party source confirmed to Press Association.
Mr Gullis is a former Conservative Party deputy chair and education minister.
He is currently the mayor of Kidsgrove.
He told the BBC that he had been a member of the party for 18 years, but believes it has “lost touch with the people it was meant to serve”.
“From failing to control both legal and illegal migration to pursuing a Net Zero agenda that has seen a rise in our household energy bills and put jobs in Stoke-on-Trent’s world famous ceramics sector at risk, the Conservative Party has understandably lost the trust of the British people,” Mr Gullis said in a statement to the broadcaster.
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Jonathan Gullis is a former deputy chair of the Conservative Party (PA Media)
The three defections are the first since Danny Kruger, the sitting MP for East Wiltshire, left the Tories for Reform in September.
A Reform party source said: “The Conservative Party is dead. Only Reform can beat Labour at the next election as the polls show time and time again.”
Luke Shenton was the first Reform councillor elected to Stoke-on-Trent City Council following a by-election in May.
“Jonathan’s decision to join us is a huge boost for Reform UK locally,” Mr Shenton told the BBC.
“The people of Stoke-on-Trent deserve better than this failing Labour government.
“Together, we’ll fight for the hardworking people of Stoke-on-Trent, and build a real alternative to this tired political establishment.”
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Tory MP Lia Nici has defected to Reform (Parliament)
In 2024, Ms Nici launched a blistering attack on then-prime minister Rishi Sunak, saying he lacked the appeal of Boris Johnson and praising Reform.
“I’m probably more Reform than most Reform candidates to be honest,” Ms Nici told Sky’s Politics Hub with Sophy Ridge.
She added: “I’m constantly called a rebel but that’s because most people in Grimsby think in a similar way to me. So I hold our government to account on that.
“Reform have got a lot of ideas that people locally do like, but are they a fully-formed political party, no they’re not.”
This is a breaking news story, more to follow…