(In UK) Conservative MP Danny Kruger Defects to Reform UK, Backs Nigel Farage for Prime Minister

 

Danny Kruger, the MP for Devizes in East Wiltshire, has become the first sitting Conservative MP to defect to Reform UK, announcing his decision at a press conference with party leader Nigel Farage on September 15, 2025. The 49-year-old former political secretary to Boris Johnson and shadow work and pensions minister under Kemi Badenoch criticized the Conservative Party as "divided and toxic," blaming it for social decline, higher taxes, and government failures. He expressed hope that Farage could become the next prime minister, stating his mission with Reform is to "restore the system we need" for ordinary people, emphasizing limited government and strong society.

Kruger, who entered Parliament in 2019 and holds an MBE for his charity work co-founding Only Connect, described the move as "personally painful" but necessary, insisting it's a "significant personal risk" and not to "save his skin." He will lead Reform UK's preparations for government, bringing the party's sitting MPs to five, following Lee Anderson's earlier defection in 2024. Badenoch responded by acknowledging the incident but vowing not to be distracted, while local Conservatives called for a by-election, and Labour dismissed Reform as a "Tory tribute act." The defection intensifies pressure on Badenoch's leadership amid ongoing Tory turmoil.

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