A long-standing Conservative MP is on ‘defection watch’ after being spotted at a Reform Party event just days before Kemi Badenoch opens her first party conference as leader. The veteran MP, whom local sources say has been “flirting with Reform”, appeared at a local party meeting of Reform members, and failed to rule out defecting when approached by the Express.
Andrew Rosindell, the Member of Parliament for Romford in Essex, is said to be an “obvious defector”, with party sources warning it “was only a matter of time” before he jumps ship. The sighting has fuelled mounting speculation that Nigel Farage is preparing to announce another defector over the coming days, coinciding with the Conservative Party’s annual conference in Manchester.
Any such announcement would be yet another brutal blow for beleaguered leader Kemi Badenoch, who is facing mounting speculation about how much time she has left as leader.
The Conservative gathering begins this Sunday, and will be one of the Tories’ only opportunities to grab the media spotlight before the Budget.
Approached by the Daily Express, Mr Rosindell insisted that his appearance at the Reform constituency event in Brentford was nothing unusual, saying he regularly attends community events.
The patriotic, Brexit-loving MP added that he was invited by one of the speakers at the event, whom he called a personal friend.
He said: “I am always happy to attend events in Havering, even those organised by political organisations not connected to my own party. Having positive dialogue and discussion with local residents of Romford is something I do all year round.
“The event I was invited to attend two weeks ago was as a guest of the main speaker of the event, Reem Ibrahim from the Institute of Economic Affairs who is a friend and a Conservative Party member.
“I also went to meet members of the Chagossian community who had travelled to Havering and wanted to see me as I am Shadow Minister dealing with the Chagos Islands issue and the Labour government’s betrayal of the Chagossian people.
He echoed recent calls by Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg for Ms Badenoch and Mr Farage to unite under a single right-wing banner if they want to defeat Sir Keir Starmer in 2029.
Mr Rosindell explained: “I think Conservatives and Reform supporters should be engaging with each other and unite against this left-wing Labour government that is doing so much harm to our country.
“I met many of my Romford constituents there, all of whom had voted for me in the past and I hope will do so again in the future.”
He fell short of completely ruling out a defection in the future, and if he did so he would be the 2nd sitting MP to join Reform after Danny Kruger did so last month.
Mr Rosindell has a long history of being on the right of the party, with firm views on immigration. His seat in Romford is considered to be a target for Reform, with polling indicating they would take the seat at the next election.
