Former Tory minister Maria Caulfield defects to Reform UK

Another former Conservative MP has defected to Reform UK.

Maria Caulfield, who served as the MP for Lewes for nearly a decade, as well as a government minister, is the 13th ex-Tory to join Nigel Farage's party, which continues to gather momentum.

The announcement of her move on Tuesday follows sitting MP Danny Kruger's decision to defect yesterday and head up Reform's work to prepare for government.

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Ms Caulfield, a former health minister, told GB News: "If you are Conservative right-minded, then the future is Reform. The country is going to change a lot.

"The same people who thought that Brexit would not happen think that Reform will not happen. They are in for a shock."

She added: "I have joined. My husband joined a few months ago and I joined a month ago."

Reacting to the defection, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch admitted her party is having a "tough and bumpy time", but reiterated her argument that it takes time to develop policies, and called on the public and her party to be patient.

Ms Caulfield is a former nurse, and her first ministerial job came in 2021, when she joined the Department for Health in Boris Johnson's government.

After a spell on the backbenches during the brief premiership of Liz Truss, she was brought back into government under Rishi Sunak, becoming the minister responsible for mental health and women's health.

She lost her seat at the 2024 general election to the Liberal Democrats, with her vote share having plummeted by nearly 22%.

'We need to hold our nerve'

Her announcement follows that of Danny Kruger, the MP for East Wiltshire, who announced his move at a press conference alongside Nigel Farage on Monday.

He said the Conservative Party is "over", and Reform is now the primary vehicle for conservatism.

But shadow chancellor Sir Mel Stride said his analysis was "profoundly wrong".

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "It is certainly the case that we had a devastating defeat about a year ago, that we lost that connection with the electorate, that trust with the electorate, and it is also true that it will take us time to rebuild that."

He added: "We need to hold our nerve."

(c) Sky News 2025: Former Tory minister Maria Caulfield defects to Reform UK