Dame Andrea Jenkyns has hailed Sir Jake Berry's defection to Reform UK, declaring there will be "more" moving from the Tories to Reform.
Speaking to GB News, Jenkyns confirmed she had been aware of the timing of Berry's defection, claiming she had "known for a while" that Berry was making the move.
The former Conservative Party Chairman announced his move on Wednesday, declaring his former party had "lost its way".
In a statement shared by Reform UK, Berry wrote: "For 25 years, I was proud to call myself a Conservative.
Dame Andrea Jenkyns has hailed Sir Jake Berry's defection from the Conservatives to Reform UK
X / GB News
"Fourteen of those years, I served as an MP. I even sat at the Cabinet table twice. I believed in it. I gave it everything. Because I believed politics could still make this country better.
"But let’s not kid ourselves. Britain is broken. It didn’t start with Labour. The Conservative Governments I was part of share the blame."
Expressing her joy for Berry's defection, Jenkyns told GB News: "He's a former chairman of the Tory party, and now he's decided that they are in terminal decline, as is Britain, and he needs to join Reform. And we've got more to come as well."
Jenkyns praised Berry's professional background and political acumen during her GB News interview, praising the new Reform member as a "friend" of hers.
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Nigel Farage hailed the decision as 'brave'X"He's a solicitor, a trained solicitor, really. That's his background. But he's got such a sound mind. He's so bright, the grasp of the brief," she said.
The Reform UK MP highlighted Berry's political courage and electoral success.
"He's brave, but it's also an amazing campaigner. I mean, how he held his marginal seat," Jenkyns noted.
She emphasised Berry's pioneering role in Conservative politics, describing him as "one of the first red wall" MPs.
Jenkyns told GB News that Berry is an 'amazing campaigner'
GB News
Jenkyns, who previously served as Berry's ministerial aide during his tenure as northern powerhouse minister, said he was "bringing a wealth of experience to the party."
Jenkyns also revealed that David Jones had joined Reform UK, expressing pride in his defection: "I was very proud to see David Jones come over. You know, a fellow Spartan, we were in the ERG together."
The former Welsh Secretary's move to Reform UK prompted Jenkyns to suggest a significant role for him in the party's future operations.
"And he was the Welsh secretary, so, I'd like to see him running the campaign in Wales next year," she concluded.