PULSE POINTS
WHAT HAPPENED: Former Conservative (Tory) Party chairman Sir Jake Berry has defected to Nigel Farage’s Reform Party, with the move widely seen as a significant setback for Tory leader Kemi Badenoch.
WHO WAS INVOLVED: Sir Jake Berry, Nigel Farage, the Reform Party, and the Conservative Party.
WHEN & WHERE: Berry announced his defection in an interview with The Sun on July 9, 2025.
KEY QUOTE: “The old parties do not have what it takes to transform our country, to build a Britain we can believe in again.” – Sir Jake Berry
IMPACT: The defection marks a significant blow to the Conservative Party and yet another boost for Farage’s Reform Party, which is increasingly displacing it on the British right.
IN FULL
Sir Jake Berry, a former Conservative (Tory) Party chairman, has announced his defection to Nigel Farage‘s Reform Party. Notably, Berry lost his parliamentary seat in 2024 when the Tories were displaced by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour Party, after 14 years in government.
In a video statement, Berry declared, “Britain is broken. We literally live in a country where you cannot walk down the street with a phone in your hand. We have taxes which are so sky-high the brightest and best are leaving our country in droves. At the same time, we have a benefits system that is bringing the world’s poor to our shores with no control.” He added, “The old parties do not have what it takes to transform our country, to build a Britain we can believe in again.”
The defection is a significant political scalp for Farage as the Brexit leader continues to build political momentum in the United Kingdom. Polling has consistently shown the Reform Party running ahead of the Conservatives and within striking distance of toppling Labour. In May, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer acknowledged that Farage and his Reform Party are now Labour’s main rivals for power, breaking a century of two-party dominance in London.
Berry’s move follows other notable defections to Reform, including former Tory Members of Parliament (MPs) Dame Andrea Jenkyns, Marco Longhi, Ann Marie Morris, and ex-Cabinet minister David Jones. Earlier this month, rock legend Rod Stewart also endorsed Farage’s Reform Party.
Berry expressed confidence in Farage’s leadership, stating, “It is only Reform and Nigel Farage who can deliver a Britain we can be proud of again.” He vowed to “spend every day” working towards forming the next government under Reform.
Image by Gage Skidmore.
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