Conservative MP Danny Kruger has defected to Reform UK, becoming the first sitting Tory MP to cross over to the party.
Gatekeepers News reports that Kruger, who has represented East Wiltshire since 2019 and served as shadow work and pensions minister under Tory leader Kemi Badenoch, announced his decision at a press conference alongside Reform leader Nigel Farage.
Kruger said that he was honoured to help Reform prepare for government and expressed hope that Farage would become the next prime minister.
The MP ruled out triggering a by-election, saying the Conservatives were no longer the main opposition. He described his move as personally painful after two decades in the party but argued that Tory governments had left bigger government, social decline, lower wages, higher taxes and less of what ordinary people actually wanted.
While expressing respect for Badenoch, Kruger described the Tory party as a “toxic brand” suffering from “stasis and drift.” He said his mission with Reform was to “restore the system we need,” not just oppose the government.
Responding, Badenoch said, “Danny has made his case very clear, that this is not about me. I can’t be distracted by that.”
Kruger is the second sitting MP to join Reform, after Lee Anderson, and his defection adds to Badenoch’s challenges as Reform now holds five MPs in the Commons.
