Danny Kruger Quits Conservatives for Nigel Farage’s Reform UK in “Painful” Move
In a move that has sent ripples through Westminster, Conservative MP Danny Kruger has defected to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK, taking on the role of “preparing for government” as the party gears up for potential early elections.
Kruger, who has represented East Wiltshire for the rightists for over two decades, was unveiled as Reform UK’s newest recruit at a packed press event led by Farage himself.
The MP, known for being the son of television personality and cook Prue Leith, didn’t wince at admitting how delicate the decision had been.
Having long-standing ties with the Conservative Party, Kruger described the move as” tête-à-tête painful,” explaining that numerous gemütlichkeit erected over the times remain dear to him.
He stated, “Those lost voters are not coming back. Every day, more and more people are joining them in deserting the party that has failed.
This is my conclusion – the Conservative Party is over, over as a national party, over as the principle opposition to the left.”
Kruger, who acknowledged moments of pride during his Tory tenure, confessed that he had hoped the party would reinvent itself following its crushing defeat in the July 2024 election. However, he believes this has not materialised.
The announcement comes amidst Reform UK’s growing momentum. Farage, addressing supporters at the event, emphasised the urgency of preparing for governance rather than waiting for Labour’s full term to expire.
He confidently asserted that Reform UK stands ready to challenge both Labour and the Conservatives, with the backing of local election wins and an increasingly structured party machine.
Welcome to Reform UK, @Danny__Kruger ! pic.twitter.com/EyDdrMgP19
— Reform UK (@reformparty_uk) September 15, 2025
Farage’s remarks were met with thunderous applause, reinforcing the sense that his party could be a real contender in upcoming political battles.
Joining Kruger in this shift is former UK culture minister Nadine Dorries, while Zia Yusuf, Reform’s ex-chairman, has been appointed head of policy.
The desertions aren’t limited to Westminster. In Wales, Laura Anne Jones, a former Conservative MS, lately joined Reform UK, getting its first representative in the Senedd.
She described the Conservative Party as” unrecognisable” and expressed her frustration over having to defend programs she no longer supports.
She stated: “I can no longer justify on the doorsteps Conservatives’ policies that were happening, or deal with the membership and face them and justify what the party was doing.
It’s a tough decision, obviously, to be here today. Like any breakup, there are some good bits, and some good people I will miss in Westminster, colleagues and members, but I always hold them in high regard.
But this isn’t about them, this is bigger than that, this is what’s right for the people of Wales, the people of Britain.”
With the Caerphilly by-election listed for 23 October, Reform UK is laboriously situating itself as a fresh voice to the traditional political geography.
Danny Kruger’s departure marks one of the most high-profile reactionary desertions in recent memory.
His abdication reflects growing disgruntlement within Tory ranks and signals an implicit shift in name sentiment as Reform UK gains traction.
Whether this is the morning of a broader realignment in British politics or simply a temporary swell, one thing is clear, Kruger’s vault has put the limelight back on Nigel Farage’s party, and Westminster is paying attention.
