Latest news with #JakeBerry
Telegraph
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
The Daily T: Jake Berry — Kemi Badenoch is toast, Nigel Farage should be PM
He is just the latest in a growing number of disaffected Tories turning to Nigel Farage's party. Former Conservative chairman Sir Jake Berry tells The Daily T why, after 25 years of Conservative Party membership and 14 years as the Tory MP for Rossendale and Darwen, he has joined Reform. As well as acknowledging his role as a senior Tory in the failure of 'broken Britain', Berry attacks the Labour Government, accusing Starmer of gross incompetence: 'the Conservative Party failed to sort it out over 14 years. I think the Labour Party 's done a worse job in 14 months.' Berry also explains why it took him losing his seat to realise that Nigel Farage is the only man who can fix Britain and why Kemi Badenoch is 'toast'. The former MP also weighs in on Essex police controversially escorting protesters to a migrant hotel in Epping, as the county's police chief refuse to resign.
Telegraph
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
‘Prisoners to El Saldavor' just shows Farage will say anything
How seriously should we take Reform UK? As a young Right-winger on the make in the foothills of his career, it is a question that vexes me on a daily basis. On paper, very: they now have a healthy opinion poll lead, won a storming victory at May's locals, and are on track for a majority at the next general election. My opinion of Sir Jake Berry is low. But is it jealousy? He saw which way the wind is blowing and fled to the sanctuary of Castle Reform before the defection drawbridge is drawn up. In branding Nigel Farage yesterday's man, in refusing to drink the Reform Kool Aid, have I hobbled my career? Yesterday's boy – c'est moi. And yet. Then I see an announcement like this morning's on crime, and I pause. Undoubtedly, Farage said all the right things. A pledge that a future Reform government will halve crime. A new prison building programme delivering 30,000 places. The deportation of foreign offenders, with the assistance of his new best friend Edi Rama, Albania's Prime Minister. An end to 'two-tier justice' and the early release of violent criminals and sex offenders. A 'three strikes' system for serious offenders. More police officers. Safer streets. Motherhood, apple pie, a BMW and bigger breasts for your wife. Ah. Wait. Sorry. Those last two weren't Farage today, but Boris Johnson, making the case for voting Conservative all the way back in 2005. I was put in mind of Johnson by Farage's announcement, if only because I can seem to remember hearing very similar pledges an election or two back. Yes, the prospect of sending the worst offenders to Nayib Bukele's El Salvador is an exciting addition to the roster. But we have heard so much of this before – the hollow promises of failed governments. Reform looks less like a radical departure from the old politics, but a miserable continuation of it. Successive ministers have presided over our worsening crime crisis, over the periodic emptying of our over-filled prisons, over a legal system that treats stupid tweets more harshly than sex crimes, over the tacit legalisation of shoplifting and burglary. Why would Home Secretary Darren Grimes, Justice Secretary David Bull, and the rest of Reform's gaggle of groupies, Z-list celebs, and Tory cast-offs succeed where their predecessors have not? Why should we think Farage – a metals trader turned TV host who has never held ministerial office or run a large organisation – has the answer? If both the Conservatives and Labour have been unable to control and overhaul Whitehall, how will Reform – especially when they will be facing concerted opposition from every aspect of the so-called establishment? Farage says he will bring in expertise from outside of politics. But, again, every incoming government pledges to do this. The number of ex-private sector ministers who have quit in disgust at their inability to circumvent Sir Humphrey are legion. Whitehall's anti-bodies – its resistance of misfits, weirdos, and talent – are very powerful. How will Farage surmount them? If Farage intends to spend the next four years genuinely planning his British Meiji Restoration – recruiting talent, plotting out policy and legislation, and wargaming the constant attempts to frustrate a Reform government – one could start to believe that he will succeed where the old parties have failed. I hold out hope. Britain needs radical change, and he is the man best-placed to deliver it. But how can I have faith that he will adopt this historical role when he goes on television to announce he would nationalise half the water industry with no clarity on the cost? I'll hold fire on my defection for the time being.
The Independent
11-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Tory defectors ‘were never Conservatives to begin with', Badenoch claims
Former Conservatives who have joined Reform UK were 'never Conservatives to begin with', Kemi Badenoch has said. The Tory leader made the claim following the latest defection – former Conservative Party chairman Jake Berry, who announced he was joining Nigel Farage's political party on Wednesday night. Sir Jake said his former Conservative colleagues had 'lost their way' as he revealed the move. Mrs Badenoch was asked by the PA news agency about the defection – the latest in a string of such moves – as she visited Stansted Airport on Friday. 'These are former MPs who do not like the direction the party is going, because we are becoming more Conservative,' she said. Comparing her platform and Reform UK's, Mrs Badenoch said: 'I have said that we've got to bring the welfare budget down, Nigel Farage is talking about more and more welfare. 'I have said that we need to live within our means, Nigel Farage wants to spend billions on nationalisation.' She added: 'So if there are people who call themselves Conservatives, who like that policy platform, my view is that they were never Conservatives to begin with. 'We need to be the authentic, centre-right Conservative Party, and if people don't like personal responsibility, living within our means, strong borders and making sure that we don't bankrupt ourselves on net zero, then we don't mind if they go to Nigel Farage's party.' Sir Jake was the latest in a line of Tory defectors, joining former Wales secretary David Jones, former minister Dame Andrea Jenkyns and others in jumping ship to Reform. The defections have raised questions over whether politicians on the right regard Mr Farage's party as a better bet for election than the Conservatives. Earlier in the week, Mrs Badenoch accused those leaving her party of behaving 'like they do in banana republics'. On Thursday, she said politicians such as Sir Jake had 'probably been holding us back for a long time' and were 'welcome' to leave. The Tory leader said: 'There are a lot of people who come into politics just to play the game of politics, and they will follow polls and defect wherever they can, like they do in banana republics, to wherever they think that they can win.'
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Tory defectors ‘were never Conservatives to begin with', Badenoch claims
Former Conservatives who have joined Reform UK were 'never Conservatives to begin with', Kemi Badenoch has said. The Tory leader made the claim following the latest defection – former Conservative Party chairman Jake Berry, who announced he was joining Nigel Farage's political party on Wednesday night. Sir Jake said his former Conservative colleagues had 'lost their way' as he revealed the move. Mrs Badenoch was asked by the PA news agency about the defection – the latest in a string of such moves – as she visited Stansted Airport on Friday. 'These are former MPs who do not like the direction the party is going, because we are becoming more Conservative,' she said. Comparing her platform and Reform UK's, Mrs Badenoch said: 'I have said that we've got to bring the welfare budget down, Nigel Farage is talking about more and more welfare. 'I have said that we need to live within our means, Nigel Farage wants to spend billions on nationalisation.' She added: 'So if there are people who call themselves Conservatives, who like that policy platform, my view is that they were never Conservatives to begin with. 'We need to be the authentic, centre-right Conservative Party, and if people don't like personal responsibility, living within our means, strong borders and making sure that we don't bankrupt ourselves on net zero, then we don't mind if they go to Nigel Farage's party.' Sir Jake was the latest in a line of Tory defectors, joining former Wales secretary David Jones, former minister Dame Andrea Jenkyns and others in jumping ship to Reform. The defections have raised questions over whether politicians on the right regard Mr Farage's party as a better bet for election than the Conservatives. Earlier in the week, Mrs Badenoch accused those leaving her party of behaving 'like they do in banana republics'. On Thursday, she said politicians such as Sir Jake had 'probably been holding us back for a long time' and were 'welcome' to leave. The Tory leader said: 'There are a lot of people who come into politics just to play the game of politics, and they will follow polls and defect wherever they can, like they do in banana republics, to wherever they think that they can win.'
The Sun
10-07-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
Nigel Farage reveals Reform UK speaking to ‘a few' sitting Tory MPs about defecting
NIGEL Farage has revealed that Reform UK has been speaking to 'a few' sitting Conservative MPs about defecting. The party's leader said an unspecified number were 'sort of watching and waiting'. 2 It comes after we revealed that ex-Conservative Party chairman Sir Jake Berry was joining Reform. But Mr Farage insisted he would not allow it to become the 'Tory Party 2.0'. He said: 'We have to be selective. We're our own unique brand and we're also getting a lot of Labour activists and one or two Labour councillors. "So there's a balance here that needs to be struck.' Sir Jake was the second ex-Cabinet Minister this week to join Reform after the former Welsh Secretary David Jones. Blasting defectors, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said: 'A lot of people come into politics just to play the game of politics. "They will follow polls and defect wherever they can, like they do in banana republics, to wherever they think they can win.' In a message to would-be turncoats, she said: 'All those who are not interested in coming up with a proper policy plan and just want to jump ship are welcome to do so.'
