Andrew Rosindell has resigned from the Conservative Party and defected to Reform UK.
The former shadow minister and MP for Romford said the Tories were "irreparably bound to the mistakes of previous governments" and not willing to take "meaningful accountability" for poor decisions.
He said he had spoken to Nigel Farage on Sunday evening before agreeing to join his party. The Reform UK leader called him "a great patriot" who "will be a great addition to our team".
A Conservative source said Rosindell's departure was a prime example of Farage doing the "spring cleaning" of Tory leader Kemi Badenoch, and Reform was "welcome" to him.
