Kemi Badenoch slams defecting Conservatives as 'running away from problems'

The leader of the opposition has seen growing number of Torys joining Nigel Farage's party, the latest high-profile name being her shadow minister Danny Kruger, who claimed her party was "over".

Less than 24 hours later, former health minister Maria Caulfield also moved further right on the political spectrum, who claimed "the future is Reform".

Ms Badenoch criticised the former Torys who had aligned themselves with Mr Farage, claiming they were doing "the easy thing when the Conservative Party is not doing well".

She told LBC's Iain Dale: "What we are seeing right now with a lot of these defections are people that are running away rather than solving these issues. I'm not somebody who runs away from difficult problems.

'I am a tough person. I see things through. The easy thing to do is see the Conservative Party is not doing well in the polls and go 'oh who is doing well? Reform is doing well, let's rush there'.

"This doesn't fix anyone's problems and it creates a lot of distrust in politics. If you don't know who you are voting for and what they are going to do."

Ms Caulfield became the 17th former Tory MP to defect to Reform, a list which includes Lee Anderson, Dame Andrea Jenkyns and Nadine Dorries.

Many believe Mr Farage will announce another major Tory defection before the Conservative party conference starts in Manchester on October 5.

Badenoch claimed she wouldn't take defections: "We need people to understand what the Conservative Party is about. If we are trying to show that we are an authentic Conservative Party then just taking everyone who has a grievance with their own party is not me following my principles."

"I wouldn't be surprised if Reform try and destabilise our conference. They are not focused on what's happening to the country. Instead we are talking about which person is jumping to which party."

This comes as Danny Kruger, East Wiltshire MP, who is the son of Bake Off host Prue Leith, was unveiled by Mr Farage and tasked with heading up the party's efforts to prepare for government.

The noted right-winger becomes the first sitting Conservative MP to defect to Reform UK and takes the party's number of Reform MPs to five.

Kruger has been an MP continually since 12 December 2019 and most recently took on the role of Shadow Minister (Work and Pensions) in Kemi Badenoch's Shadow Cabinet.

He announced his defection to Reform UK in a press conference on Monday, saying the Conservative Party is "over".

Kruger said the decision to move is "personally painful", having been "very proud" at points of being a Tory MP.

However, their time in office was marked by "failure, bigger government, social decline, low wages, high taxes, and less of what ordinary people actually wanted".

Mr Kruger told LBC: "I have come to the conclusion over the last year or so, certainly since the last election, that the Conservative Party is unable to deliver for Conservatives for the country.

"Whereas I've been consistently impressed by the way that Reform Nigel Farage himself, Zia Yusuf, Richard Tice and others have set out what I think is a very coherent set of policy principles.”

He said the country was facing "the most profound set of crises" in his lifetime, listing the border, economy, military and young people as examples.

He called the move for Reform UK his "tragic conclusion", but said Conservatism is not over, as the torch has been passed to Reform UK.

Kruger said they need to be radical with their mission to restore the system we need - "limited government, accountable power, strong society, a state that works in the interest of the people".

He called Reform UK leader Nigel Farage "the best hope we have, maybe our last hope".

"I am proud to follow him and I hope others will do the same," he added.

Answering question from reporters, Farage said Kruger is "aligned" with the party and recognised the level of work he has taken on.

Kruger denied that he was jumping ship from the Tories to ensure his political future, saying he has taken a big personal risk.

"The best hope for conservatism and the country, is Nigel's Reform party. But it is going to be a major challenge. Nigel's asked me to do a difficult job," he said.

Responding to Mr Kruger's defection, Mrs Badenoch herself insisted she was "not going to get blown off course by these sorts of incidents".

Wiltshire County Council's Conservative group leader Richard Clewer said his defection was "disappointing", adding the party "hasn't changed significantly from the position it went into the last election" and if anything had "got slightly more in line with Danny's views".