Tory MP 'encouraged by uptick in party membership' after Badenoch 'fesses up' to mistakes - despite Reform defections

Figures from July revealed the Conservatives had 8,000 fewer members than they did when Mrs Badenoch won the party leadership in November 2024.

But according to Simon Hoare, MP for North Dorset & Chair, people are now “rejoining and joining for the first time”.

He told Nick Ferrari at Breakfast: “I think they like what Kemi is doing in terms of 'fessing up to our mistakes and errors over recent years and are optimistic about the future and I think they're getting quite excited about that.”

At the time of the leadership election, the Conservative Party had 131,000 members.

But this fell to 123,000 as of July 2025, sparking concerns the Tories would struggle to fend off the growing threat of Reform.

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

Read more: 'They've lost the trust of the British people': Three Conservative former MPs defect to Reform UK

A series of high profile Tories have to defected Reform. Robert Jenrick became the most high-profile Conservative to make the switch last Thursday while yesterday he was followed by Romford MP Andrew Rosindell.

Mr Hoare said: “I am always sorry when somebody leaves our party, but I am encouraged by the increase in our membership.”

Mr Rosindell became the second MP to defect in a week after Robert Jenrick, the former shadow justice secretary, jumped ship after being sacked by Mrs Badenoch. 

Badenoch had claimed just days ago that she was "100 per cent confident" that no other members of her Shadow Cabinet would switch sides after Mr Jenrick’s move. 

Speaking after Jenrick's shock deferral to Reform, the Conservative leader said her party was stronger and more united after she sacked her leadership rival.

She thanked Farage for doing her "spring cleaning" and insisted she would never do a deal with Reform UK to help defeat Labour in the next election. Jenrick's bizarre defection notes were leaked on Saturday, in which he was referred to as “the new sheriff in town”.

The leaked plan references the defection of former Tory chancellor Nadhim Zahawi on Monday, signalling that it was prepared in recent days.

Jenrick has conceded that he was “resolved” to switch to Reform before he was given the boot by Kemi Badenoch.

The Tory Party leader dismissed Jenrick as shadow justice secretary and suspended him from the Conservative Party on Thursday, accusing him of plotting to jump ship.

She is thought to have launched her pre-emptive action after a draft of Jenrick’s resignation speech and this memo were passed onto her team.