David Jones, a former Conservative cabinet minister and Welsh secretary, has defected to Reform UK, becoming the highest profile figure yet to join Nigel Farage’s insurgent party.
Announcing his decision on Monday night, Mr Jones said Reform was the only political party confronting Britain’s key challenges with the urgency they demand.
Speaking to GB News, the ex-MP said: “Today, Reform UK is the party that best represents my views and, I believe, those of many others who have become disillusioned with the two old major parties. Across the country, people are rightly concerned about the rising cost of living, the escalating crisis of illegal immigration, and the steady erosion of our national sovereignty.”
Jones’s move delivers a fresh boost to Reform as it continues to attract disaffected Conservatives and donors, building momentum following its strong showing in the general election.
A former deputy chairman of the European Research Group (ERG), Mr Jones represented Clwyd West from 2005 until the seat was abolished at the 2024 election. He accused both the Conservatives and Labour of failing to address critical issues facing the country.
“Neither the Government nor the official Opposition is addressing these issues with the urgency or resolve they demand indeed, the Government is actively surrendering our sovereignty at an alarming rate,” he said.
“Only Reform UK is demonstrating the determination needed to tackle the country’s many problems and to improve the lives of people across Britain.”
Nigel Farage has previously suggested he would look to recruit senior ex-Conservatives to act as spokespeople on key policy areas. With Jones now in the fold, the party has four MPs in Parliament, despite recent controversy. Over the weekend, Reform MP James McMurdock voluntarily suspended the party whip over allegations of Covid loan fraud.
Farage acknowledged on Monday that the party did zero due diligence on McMurdock prior to his election but insisted the vetting process has since been professionalised. “We fielded more candidates than anybody on May 1. There was hardly any arguments at all,” he said.
Reform has seen a sharp rise in support over the past nine months, recently overtaking the Conservatives in national polling. It is now targeting gains in Wales at next year’s Senedd elections, where many of its strongest Westminster polling areas are located.
Jones’s defection follows those of former Tory MPs Ross Thomson and Anne Marie Morris within the past fortnight. Reform has also been buoyed by a steady stream of high-profile donors abandoning the Conservatives.
Billionaire property developer Nick Candy defected to Reform last December, pledging to raise more money for the party than any political campaign in British history. In April, tech tycoon Bassim Haidar a former Tory donor who contributed over £700,000 during Rishi Sunak’s tenure resigned his Conservative membership and pledged £1 million to Reform. Haidar has since donated over £200,000 to Farage’s party and said he believes Farage could become the next prime minister.
With growing support among donors, disillusioned MPs, and the public, Reform UK’s momentum appears to be accelerating posing an escalating threat to the Conservative Party’s future.
