Son of Bake Off star Prue Leith crosses floor to join Nigel Farage’s insurgent party in major Westminster shock
Danny Kruger, the Conservative MP for East Wiltshire and son of Great British Bake Off judge Prue Leith, has dramatically defected to Reform UK this morning, declaring the Tories “over” as both a party and effective opposition.
The 50-year-old former speechwriter to David Cameron was unveiled at a Westminster press conference alongside Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, who hailed the defection as a “pivotal moment” in British politics. Mr Kruger becomes Reform’s fifth MP in Parliament, bolstering the insurgent party’s Westminster presence as it seeks to overtake the Conservatives as Britain’s main opposition force.
In a stinging rebuke to his former party, Mr Kruger told the audience: “I fervently hope that the next prime minister is Nigel Farage.” The defection represents a significant coup for Reform UK, which has been steadily gaining momentum in opinion polls, with some surveys showing the party matching or exceeding Conservative support levels.
Tasked with Government Preparation
Mr Farage announced that Mr Kruger would take on a crucial role in preparing Reform UK for potential government, signalling the party’s serious ambitions beyond protest politics. The appointment suggests Reform is positioning itself not merely as a disruptive force but as a genuine alternative government-in-waiting.
The defection marks a remarkable political journey for Mr Kruger, who was elected as Conservative MP for Devizes in 2019 with a commanding majority of 23,993, before representing the redrawn East Wiltshire constituency following boundary changes. He won re-election in July 2024 with 35.7 per cent of the vote and a reduced majority of 4,716.
A prominent figure on the Conservative right, Mr Kruger co-chaired the New Conservatives group alongside former MP Miriam Cates, pushing for more traditional conservative policies on family, community and national sovereignty. He also led opposition to the assisted dying legislation currently progressing through Parliament, serving on the committee examining the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill.
Leadership Campaign Background
The defection carries particular weight given Mr Kruger’s role in last year’s Conservative leadership contest. He ran Robert Jenrick’s campaign when the shadow justice secretary challenged for the party leadership, ultimately losing to current leader Kemi Badenoch in November 2024. Ms Badenoch secured 53,806 votes to Mr Jenrick’s 41,388 in the final ballot of party members.
Mr Kruger’s departure represents another blow to Ms Badenoch’s struggling leadership. The Conservative Party, reduced to just 121 MPs at July’s general election, has failed to mount effective opposition to Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour government, with Reform UK increasingly setting the political agenda despite having fewer parliamentary seats.
Sources close to the leadership suggest the defection was not entirely unexpected. In leaked recordings from March 2024, Mr Kruger admitted to local party members that Reform’s criticisms of the Conservatives were “mostly valid” and that the Tories were “not a very conservative party in lots of ways. He expressed being “very, very worried” about Reform’s surge in support, warning it was “absolutely killing” the Conservative Party.
Political Background and Career
Born on 23 October 1974 to South African parents, Mr Kruger was educated at Eton College before studying history at the University of Edinburgh and Oxford University, where he obtained a doctorate in 2000. His mother, Prue Leith, is one of Britain’s most recognisable television personalities through her role as a judge on The Great British Bake Off.
After university, Mr Kruger worked at the Centre for Policy Studies think tank before becoming a policy adviser for the Conservative Party. He rose to prominence as David Cameron’s chief speechwriter from 2006 to 2008, credited with crafting the controversial “hug-a-hoodie” speech that attempted to rebrand the party with compassionate conservatism at its core.
Following his time in Cameron’s office, Mr Kruger co-founded the youth crime prevention charity Only Connect in 2006, for which he received an MBE in 2017. He also served as Boris Johnson’s political secretary during the first months of his premiership in 2019.
As an MP, Mr Kruger established himself as a leading voice for social conservatism. Alongside the New Social Covenant Unit he co-founded with Miriam Cates in 2021, he promoted policies to “strengthen families, communities, and the nation”. His 2023 book “Covenant: The New Politics of Home, Neighbourhood and Nation” outlined his communitarian political philosophy, arguing for replacing liberal social contracts with covenants rooted in duty, virtue and mutual dependence.
Reform UK’s Growing Influence
The defection comes as Reform UK continues to build momentum following its breakthrough at July’s general election, where it secured more than 4 million votes despite winning just four seats initially. Mr Farage’s party has since gained control of twelve local councils and claims membership has swelled to 240,000.
Recent polling has shown Reform matching or exceeding Conservative support, with the party successfully capitalising on public frustration over immigration and economic concerns. Mr Farage has positioned Reform as the authentic voice of conservative values, accusing both major parties of abandoning traditional British principles.
At Reform’s recent annual conference in Birmingham, Mr Farage outlined ambitious plans including leaving the European Convention on Human Rights, implementing mass deportations of illegal immigrants, and slashing taxes. The party has explicitly modelled itself on Donald Trump’s successful political playbook, promising to “make Britain great again”.
Labour sources suggested the government views Reform, rather than the official Conservative opposition, as its main political threat. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer himself acknowledged earlier this year that Mr Farage represents “the real opposition”, elevating Reform’s status despite its limited parliamentary representation.
Conservative Party Response
The defection leaves the Conservative Party facing difficult questions about its future direction and ability to win back voters who have drifted to Reform. The party must now decide whether to tack further right to compete with Reform’s populist message or attempt to reclaim the centre ground.
Former Conservative colleagues expressed disappointment but not surprise at Mr Kruger’s decision. One senior backbencher, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: “Danny’s been moving in this direction for some time. The writing was on the wall when he started publicly questioning whether we could ever return to power.”
The timing of the defection, coming just ten months after Ms Badenoch’s election as leader, raises questions about her ability to unite the fractured Conservative Party. Having positioned herself as a figure from the party’s right wing during the leadership contest, she now faces the challenge of stemming further defections whilst broadening the party’s appeal.
Shadow Cabinet members rallied behind their leader, with one minister insisting: “This changes nothing. We remain focused on holding Labour to account and preparing for government.” However, privately, Conservative MPs worry about further defections, particularly among the New Conservatives group that Mr Kruger helped establish.
What Happens Next
Mr Kruger’s appointment to help prepare Reform for potential government signals the party’s serious long-term ambitions. With the next general election not due until 2029, Reform has time to build its organisational capacity and policy platform beyond its current populist messaging.
The defection also raises immediate questions about parliamentary dynamics. With five MPs, Reform UK equals the Green Party’s Westminster representation and exceeds that of Plaid Cymru. This could strengthen Mr Farage’s hand in demanding greater prominence in parliamentary debates and committee positions.
For the Conservative Party, the immediate challenge is preventing further defections whilst demonstrating relevance as the official opposition. Ms Badenoch must now navigate between satisfying her party’s traditional base and appealing to the broader electorate needed to return to power.
Political analysts suggest Mr Kruger’s defection could trigger a domino effect, with other Conservative MPs from the party’s right wing potentially following suit. Several members of the European Research Group and Common Sense Group are known to be sympathetic to Reform’s message on immigration and cultural issues.
The move also highlights the ongoing realignment of British politics, with traditional party loyalties increasingly giving way to new coalitions based on cultural and social values rather than economic positions alone. Mr Kruger’s journey from Cameron speechwriter to Reform UK represents this broader shift in conservative politics.
As Westminster absorbs today’s shock announcement, attention will focus on whether this marks the beginning of a broader Conservative exodus to Reform or remains an isolated defection. Either way, Mr Kruger’s departure underscores the existential challenges facing Britain’s oldest political party as it struggles to define its purpose in opposition.
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Image Credit:
Official portrait of Danny Kruger MP (crop) — photo by David Woolfall / UK Parliament, licensed CC BY 3.0.
