Danny Kruger fires warning shot as Tories demand by-election after shock defection: ‘I wouldn’t advise’

Announcing his defection on Monday with party leader Nigel Farage, Mr Kruger declared the Conservatives are "over", but admitted the move is a "significant personal risk" to him.

Addressing his reasons for the move, he stated that there "simply isn't space" for both the Conservatives and Reform as the main opposition to Labour.

Delivering his verdict on Mr Buckland's remarks, Mr Kruger told GB News: "Robert's wrong about what would happen if there were a by-election, and Reform are well ahead in the polls currently in East Wiltshire.

"So I wouldn't advise Conservatives to suggest that that would help them. The fact is that Nigel Farage has made it clear he doesn't expect or want by-elections. There have been a series of defections to his party in the Scottish and Welsh Assemblies, which have not caused by-elections."

He added: "And here in the UK Parliament, he's expecting more as well, and what he doesn't want to inflict on the public is a whole series of by-elections.

"Every time that happens, I think there is an important difference between a defection from the governing party to the opposition and a move from one opposition party to the next."

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Assuring he will continue to deliver for the people of East Wiltshire despite his defection, Mr Kruger stated: "I was elected to do the job that I am going to continue to do at the last election.

"I will carry on doing my job in exactly the same way, opposing the Labour Government, standing up for conservative principles, representing my constituents in exactly the same way that I always have. So they got the same MP that they elected, and I'm going to do the same job as I always have."

Pressed by GB News host Miriam Cates on why he decided to defect now, the Reform MP admitted that it has been "painful" for him personally, but believes the Conservative Party is in an "advance state of crisis".

Mr Kruger explained: "On a personal level, for what it's worth, it is very painful. It's not an enjoyable experience, I don't feel any sort of particular joy or sort of adulation or pleasure at this change.

"And on a personal level, I recognise I've caused a lot of dismay to a lot of people I really like and respect in the Conservative Party, so there is nothing personal about this."

Criticising the Tories, he added: "But I have come to the conclusion that in our rather brutal first past the post parliamentary system, there's only one challenger to the left, and that's got to be either Reform or the Conservatives, there simply isn't space for both of them.

"And the reason why we are such a denuded rump in Parliament now, we, the Conservative Party, the whole right, in fact, is because we were standing against each other at the last election. And if that happens again, I don't think this country has much hope. We are in such an advanced state of crisis, I'm afraid much of it the consequence of Conservative Party policy in the last 14 years, but accelerated by this terrible Labour Government that we have."

Affirming his support for Reform in the next election, Mr Kruger concluded: "While the Conservatives try and sort themselves out and get back into power, we have to get behind the leader and the party that I think has the best chance of bringing real change to this country."