Overview
- Rosindell resigned as a shadow foreign office minister and announced his switch after speaking with Nigel Farage on Sunday evening.
- His defection follows Robert Jenrick’s sacking by Kemi Badenoch and subsequent move to Reform days earlier.
- Reform UK’s tally in the Commons rises to seven MPs, and the party has set 7 May as the deadline after which it will not accept further Conservative defectors.
- Kemi Badenoch has criticised the defectors, said she is confident no further shadow cabinet members will go, and warned MPs who try to undermine the party will be dealt with.
- Reform figures say Jenrick’s arrival improves their election prospects and rule out any pact with the Conservatives, and Reuters reports more than 20 serving or former Tories have switched to Reform over time.