Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has suffered a significant political setback on the eve of her party conference, with veteran London Assembly member Keith Prince defecting to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK after nearly 50 years as a Tory.
Mr Prince, the 67-year-old Assembly Member for Havering and Redbridge since 2016, announced his decision to leave the Conservative Party on Saturday morning, just hours before the Conservative Party Conference is due to begin in Manchester on Sunday. The defection marks a major blow to Ms Badenoch, who has been losing ground in the polls to Reform UK leader Nigel Farage.
In a candid statement on X (formerly Twitter), Mr Prince wrote that he was joining Reform UK after 49 years as a member of the Conservative Party, adding he was “really excited to be joining a party with a charismatic leader and a vision for a better Britain.
‘Done and Dusted’: Prince Takes Parting Shot at Tories
Taking aim at his former party, Mr Prince declared the Conservatives were “done and dusted”, adding they had “served a purpose once” but were “no longer an effective opposition to this failing Labour Government”.
The politician, who served as leader of Redbridge Council in east London from 2009 to 2014, told The Standard that he has been with the party for 49 years and this would have been his 50th year. He said the party has left him and is not the party he joined, adding he remembers the rise of Margaret Thatcher when the Conservatives had a vision, a charismatic leader and knew where they were going.
Mr Prince said he now has “that same feeling about Reform”, describing Nigel Farage as “a very charismatic leader.
Reform UK Gains Official Group Status at City Hall
The defection carries significant implications for Reform UK’s presence at City Hall. Mr Prince now joins Alex Wilson to become the second Reform member of the London-wide body, meaning the party now has an official group in the London Assembly for the first time.
An official group on the Assembly is entitled to an allocation of committee seats in line with how many Assembly Members they have. The London Assembly is a 25-member elected body that scrutinises the activities of the mayor of London.
Mr Farage hailed the move as “an important moment for the party”, saying that with Keith’s defection, Reform UK now has an official group on the London Assembly for the first time. He added that their impressive progress in London continues, and they are building momentum ahead of London’s local elections next May.
Political Landscape Shifts at London Assembly
Following the defection, the political composition of the London Assembly now stands as Labour with 11 AMs, the Conservatives with seven, the Greens with three, the Liberal Democrats with two and Reform UK with two members.
Alex Wilson became Reform UK’s first London Assembly member in May 2024, having been elected through the Londonwide voting system. Mr Prince described Wilson as a “friend” and former council colleague.
Susan Hall, leader of the City Hall Conservatives and the party’s former mayoral candidate, said she was “very sad that Keith has gone”, adding he was “a valued member of the team”. However, she insisted “our mission, to hold the mayor to account and scrutinise his failures, remains unchanged”.
Context: Latest in Series of Conservative Defections
Mr Prince’s switch comes just weeks after Tory MP Danny Kruger defected to Reform UK in September 2025. Mr Kruger, the Conservative MP for East Wiltshire, stated at the time that “the Conservatives are over” and said he was “honoured” to have been asked to help prepare Reform for government.
Some Conservatives fear Mr Prince’s defection could be the first of several in east London, with Havering considered Reform UK’s number one target in the London borough elections next May. Mr Prince is also a councillor in the London Borough of Havering for the Squirrels Heath Ward, a position he has held since 2022, and was leader of the Conservative group on Havering Council until his defection.
The politician has confirmed his intention to contest his council seat for Reform UK in the London borough elections next May and will seek re-election as an Assembly Member for the Havering and Redbridge constituency in 2028.
Badenoch to Commit to ECHR Withdrawal
At the Conservative Party conference on Sunday, Kemi Badenoch is set to commit to withdrawing the UK from the European Convention on Human Rights if her party wins at the next general election.
The Tory leader has warned that a failure to control Britain’s borders has pushed the country to “breaking point”. She claims her party offers a vision of “authentic conservatism”, describing Reform UK’s Nigel Farage as a “one-man band” who offered a “pastiche” of Tory values.
Ms Badenoch said that the country is getting to breaking point because borders are not being controlled and people are unhappy. She added that if you cannot deliver the basics for your people because of a convention which is out of your control, then you should leave.
She continued, saying it is not about wanting to leave the ECHR, but about wanting to make sure the country can be run for the people of this country, not for everybody else who turns up on British shores.
Shadow Cabinet Response
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp insisted there was “a massive difference” between the Conservative Party’s plan and Reform UK’s approach. Speaking on BBC Breakfast, he said Reform have slogans and shoot from the hip, writing down slogans on the back of a fag packet.
He said the Conservatives have a “very, very carefully thought-out position” which had taken months of legal work, adding they know exactly what the implications are for things like the Belfast Good Friday Agreement and the Trade and Co-operation Agreement.
The move to commit to leaving the ECHR follows a review commissioned by Lord Wolfson of Tredegar KC, a former justice minister, into the legality and practicality of the move. Lord Wolfson concluded that leaving the convention was “the only way” to meet Ms Badenoch’s five tests, which include ensuring “sovereign” control of Britain’s borders.
Political Background
Mr Prince has had a long and dedicated history in east London local government. He served as a councillor in the Barkingside ward of Redbridge London Borough Council from 2003 until 2018, holding the post of Leader of Redbridge Council from 2009 to 2014, in coalition with the Liberal Democrats after May 2010.
The defection comes at a critical time for the Conservative Party, which has been struggling to regain momentum following its general election defeat. Reform UK announced in September 2025 that it had reached 250,000 paid-up members, more than double that of the Conservatives at 123,000 members.
Mr Prince’s decision to defect was reportedly planned to be announced at the start of the Tory party conference on Sunday, but news began to leak on Friday. When approached by The Standard on Friday as rumours emerged about his imminent defection, he initially said he was not defecting to Reform.
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