Conservatives hit with another defection as former 'Red Wall' MP joins Reform UK

Ben Bradley has been hired as the party's "head of local government action" to help cut council spending, but it denied the appointment risked undermining Nigel Farage's promise that it would "not become the Conservative Party 2.0".

Mr Bradley, the former Nottinghamshire County Council leader who lost his Mansfield parliamentary seat at last year's general election, will work with Richard Tice, chief of Reform's Doge (Department of government efficiency) unit.

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The Tory defector said the upstart party is the only one "prepared to be different and to tackle the most pressing issues" as he vowed to help "ensure that communities feel the benefit of voting for Reform".

Leader Mr Farage last week batted off suggestions he was welcoming in too many ex-Tories and defended defections such as that of sitting MP Danny Kruger, who is helping prepare Reform for government.

Reform's "biggest weakness is a lack of experience", Mr Farage told a press conference, adding: "We need people with experience of politics, experience of life, experience of management. We've been there before."

He also insisted: "We will not become the Conservative Party 2.0."

A Reform source denied Mr Bradley's appointment to the role with local government went against Mr Farage's claim, noting that most former Conservatives MPs who have crossed the aisle to Reform have just joined as members and are unlikely to get seats at the next election.

The source said: "Ben Bradley is an expert in local government and we look forward to having him join the team as our councils continue to deliver for taxpayers. He recognises too that only Reform can be trusted to deliver for British people.

"Labour may want to remember they have had two Tory MPs defect to their party in recent years."

Labour Treasury minister Torsten Bell said on X: "We're now up to 22 ex-Tory MPs joining Reform.

"It's not subtle - every day clearer this is just a rebranding of the nutty fringe of the Conservative Party offering to rerun the Truss/Johnson omnishambles."

Mr Tice said Mr Bradley's experience as a former local authority leader and MP for Mansfield "will help us provide strong leadership and deliver real results for councils across the country".

Since Reform hoovered up council seats across England in May's local elections, its promises to cut tax and slash waste have come up against difficulties in cash-starved councils, of which many are likely to raise council tax by 5%.

Mr Bradley said: "Successive governments have failed to deliver for so many people, and have demonstrated that they're unwilling to actually deliver on key promises to voters.

"They have talked about being tough on crime, reducing immigration, about helping working people, whilst in practice they've failed to act and have delivered the opposite. The trust in those parties has gone, and it's not coming back.

"I've been out of politics altogether for a little while, but I feel strongly that I can't sit on the sidelines any more and watch our country fail.

"I've come to the conclusion that Reform UK is the only party that is prepared to be different and to tackle the most pressing issues. I've been impressed with their recent policy announcements and the clarity they have on a range of issues, and that's why I'm joining today."

He added that in his new job he would help "ensure that communities feel the benefit of voting for Reform".

The Tories have suffered a string of defections to Mr Farage's outfit in recent months.

Mr Bradley is the latest former Tory MP to jump ship, with others including former ministers Dame Andrea Jenkyns, Jonathan Gullis and Nadine Dorries.

The Conservatives have been contacted for comment.