Former Conservative cabinet minister Nadine Dorries has delivered a major blow to Britain’s ruling party, announcing her defection to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK. Dorries, who served as Culture Secretary under Boris Johnson, declared in a Daily Mail column that the “Tory Party is dead” and that only Farage has the answers to the crises facing the country.
Calling it the “most difficult decision” of her political life, Dorries said she had considered joining Reform for over a year. “The time for action is now, and I believe that the only politician who has the answers, the knowledge and the will to deliver is Nigel Farage,” she wrote.
The former Mid-Bedfordshire MP has long been outspoken in defense of Boris Johnson, blasting his 2022 ouster as a “coup” led by Rishi Sunak and other establishment figures. She has also attacked the toxic culture of Westminster, claiming the Conservative Party covered up sexual misconduct and even drugging scandals among MPs.
On Thursday, she echoed Ronald Reagan’s famous line, saying her core beliefs had not changed since joining the Tories in 1995, but that the party had abandoned its principles.
Reform spokesman Zia Yusuf welcomed her defection, calling her an “asset” and agreeing with her assessment that the Conservatives are finished. The move comes as Reform UK continues to surge in the polls, driven by voter frustration over mass migration, economic stagnation, and Tory scandals.
However, critics pointed to Dorries’ role in advancing the controversial Online Safety Act, legislation Farage has slammed as “borderline dystopian.” While she did not directly address the issue, Dorries insisted she and Farage will handle any disagreements privately.
As Reform UK opened its annual conference in Birmingham, Farage reportedly predicted he could become prime minister by 2027—two years before the next scheduled election.
