Former Conservative Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries has sensationally defected to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party, declaring “The Tory Party is dead” in a bombshell move that will send shockwaves through Westminster. The dramatic defection comes after months of secret negotiations between Dorries and the Reform leader, who is plotting his path to Downing Street.
Ms Dorries, who spent three decades as a Conservative Party member and 18 years as a Tory MP, announced her decision in an exclusive article for Mail+ today. The move represents Nigel Farage’s most spectacular political coup yet and comes as Reform UK consistently leads in recent polls, putting the party within touching distance of Number 10.
“The Tory Party is dead. Its members now need to think the unthinkable and look to the future,” Ms Dorries told the Daily Mail, explaining her reasons for the dramatic switch that will alarm Labour MPs in Reform-facing seats and heap further pressure on Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch.
Mr Farage welcomed the high-profile addition to his ranks last night, saying: “I am absolutely delighted to welcome Nadine Dorries to Reform UK. She is a hugely successful politician, author and columnist and will be a great boost to our campaign to win the next General Election.
The clandestine negotiations between Farage and Dorries concluded with meetings at Robin Birley’s exclusive 5 Hertford Street members’ club in Mayfair. Sources indicate that whilst no specific role in a future Reform administration was guaranteed, the former Culture Secretary has not ruled out a return to the Commons.
Ms Dorries’ defection comes ahead of Reform UK’s annual conference in Birmingham tomorrow, where she will deliver the opening speech. The timing is particularly significant as Reform has soared to a 15-point lead in recent polls, capitalising on the Government’s struggles with immigration policy whilst Labour ministers were on summer holidays.
The move helps counter criticism that Reform UK is merely a one-man band centred around Farage. Even senior Reform figures have previously conceded that the party would struggle to fill Cabinet positions with ministers of sufficient experience and ability should they form a government.
At 68, Ms Dorries brings considerable political experience to Reform UK. Her journey from a Liverpool council estate to the centre of Westminster power, combined with her staunch pro-Brexit and anti-immigration views, would place her at the top of the party’s selection list should she seek to return to Parliament.
The defection has reignited speculation about a potential pact between Reform UK and the Conservative Party. With Reform consistently ahead in polls by margins that put Farage within reach of Downing Street, many Tory MPs believe some form of agreement is becoming inevitable, despite Kemi Badenoch ruling out any such arrangement.
Conservative frontbencher Robert Jenrick, currently favourite to succeed Badenoch, is reportedly prepared to do business with Reform. Farage himself privately oscillates between determination to go it alone and grudging acceptance of the need for selective alliances with like-minded Conservative candidates.
Friends of Ms Dorries suggest she has made this dramatic move because she believes the Labour Government could fall within two years and that Mrs Badenoch would not be positioned to win a subsequent General Election. She is expected to use her influence to urge Farage towards reaching agreements with right-wing Tory candidates.
Such an arrangement would echo the 2019 pact when Farage stood down Brexit Party candidates to avoid splitting the right-wing vote. However, Farage remains wary of such deals, feeling “betrayed” by Boris Johnson’s handling of Brexit after that agreement.
Ms Dorries, a close ally of Johnson who publicly predicted his rise to Downing Street years before it happened, appears to have given up hope of his return to the Conservative Party. Her defection signals her belief that Nigel Farage is now the figure heading for Number 10.
The best-selling novelist and Daily Mail columnist’s decision represents a seismic shift in British politics. After dominating the summer political agenda with relentless attacks on Government immigration policy, Reform UK’s acquisition of such a high-profile Conservative figure strengthens their claim to be a serious electoral force.
A Conservative friend of Ms Dorries summed up the significance last night, saying: “The ravens are leaving the tower.” The metaphor, referencing the legend that the kingdom will fall if the ravens leave the Tower of London, underscores the perceived existential threat to the Conservative Party from this defection.
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Image Credit:
Official portrait of Nadine Dorries (2021) — photo by UK Government, OGL 3.0 (commons link)
