Make no mistake – the defection of Conservative Party MP Danny Kruger to Reform UK is a hugely important development in British conservative politics.
We are not referring to a trivial backbencher or unknown local councillor. Kruger, before his defection, was one of the most intellectually solid and thoughtful figures in the Tory parliamentary party.
Serving Leader of the Opposition Kemi Badenoch as a shadow work and pensions minister, the MP for East Wiltshire declared at today’s Reform UK press conference that “the Conservatives are over” and that he hoped Nigel Farage would be the next UK prime minister.
The defection is a crushing blow for the Conservatives ahead of their party conference in Manchester (which is scheduled to start in the first week of October) and a major boost for an increasingly buoyant Reform UK.
One of the strongest criticisms of the modern Conservative Party is that it has largely abandoned the traditional triad of faith, family, and flag – having little time for both economic and cultural protectionism.
Danny Kruger's defection changes the game entirely for Reform UK. This is why - Rakib Ehsan | Getty Images
Kruger is a patriotic traditionalist – representing a wholesome strand of conservatism which understands how much of Britain has been left battered by the harsh winds of free-market globalisation and holds perfectly legitimate concerns over the pace of social change that has come with unprecedented levels of immigration.
An authentic social conservative who believes in the principle of self-sacrifice for the greater good, Kruger – who has called for a revival of Christianity in modern Britain – has previously declared that the only basis for a safe and prosperous society was marriage between men and women and that they should stick together for the sake of the children.
Is it any surprise that he no longer felt at home within the current-day Conservative Party, which has deserted the basics of conservative philosophy?
With the UK being an international hotspot for family fragility, disconnection between the young and old, and the prioritisation of individual wants over the needs of one’s family, community, and country, Kruger’s policy brain and political credibility are a huge asset for a fledgling party like Reform UK.
He will also understand that any project of ‘restoration’ must be cultural as well as political – empowering the more traditional-minded elements of civil society in the name of common-good conservatism.
Reform UK’s head of policy, Zia Yusuf, has already announced that Kruger will be the head of a new ‘Preparing for Government’ unit.
As Charlie Peters of GB News has observed, “Reform has been slammed for treating politics like reality TV, serenading voters with songs, sequin jumpsuits and smoke machines”.
But Kruger’s defection to the party will help to address the oft-made accusation that it is a largely amateurish outfit with no intellectual depth and philosophical grounding.
The worry for the Conservatives is that Kruger’s defection risks opening the floodgates under the largely lacklustre and underwhelming leadership of Badenoch.
This is the most high-profile defection from the Tories to Reform UK yet – but it may not be the last one, if more MPs on the Right believe that Reform UK is now the most effective political vehicle for their national-conservative beliefs to be carried forward.