Reform UK has announced a mass defection of elected Tories on the eve on Kemi Badenoch’s leader’s speech at Conservative Party Conference.
The party announced on Tuesday morning that some 20 Tory councillors have joined their ranks.
They included the Deputy Leader of Hertsmere Borough Council’s Conservative group Caroline Clapper and Gary Harding, a councillor for Meopham North in Kent and the Gravesham Borough Disability Champion.
Ms Badenoch brushed off the string of defections, which were revealed while she conducted a series of broadcaster interviews.
Welcome to Reform UK, Cllr Caroline Clapper! ✅ #CPC25 pic.twitter.com/Na1zlnkMAJ
— Reform UK (@reformparty_uk) October 7, 2025
The Conservative leader told ITV's Good Morning Britain: “I'm always very sorry to lose people from the party, but as you can see from this conference, we are changing the Conservative Party talking about a stronger economy, stronger borders.
“Reform is a party that wants to spend more on welfare.
“We know there's some Conservatives who agree with those policies, on increased welfare, on nationalisation and if that's what they think is right for them, then we're sorry to lose them. But we need to make it very clear that we are the party of fiscal responsibility."
The Tories have seen a string of high-profile defections in recent weeks, including senior London Conservative Keith Prince who announced he had joined Reform on Saturday as Ms Badenoch and her shadow minister began arriving in Manchester for their political conference.
Asked why her party was losing supporters, Mrs Badenoch said: "What we are doing is shedding a lot of the baggage of the last 14 years.
She added: "Just last year, we had MPs jumping to Labour because Labour was doing well in the polls. They're not doing so well now.
"There are some people who will leave because all they want to do is win elections. They don't know what they're winning the elections for.
"We are making it very clear what we are doing this for. It is for the people of the United Kingdom. We want to give them a stronger economy. We want to give them stronger borders.
"We're the only party tough enough and competent enough to do both. It's going to be a long journey back from a historic defeat and on very long, difficult journeys you will lose some people on the way. But if these people cannot stick with us because opposition is difficult, then they're not going to be able to stick with us when government gets difficult."
