Shadow Chancellor Mel Stride has told GB News he “doesn’t fully understand” why Danny Kruger has opted to defect to Reform UK.
Mr Kruger dealt the Tories a blow yesterday by announcing he has joined Nigel Farage’s party to bring its total of MPs up to five.
The 50-year-old, who had been a part of the Conservative Party for 20 years, was withering in his analysis of Kemi Badenoch’s electoral hopes as he became the first sitting Tory MP to join Mr Farage’s ranks.
Speaking to GB News, Mr Stride admitted Mr Kruger will be a loss to the party, but criticised his decision nonetheless.
Mel Stride criticised Danny Kruger's decision
|GB NEWS / PA
“It’s always disappointing when a colleague does that but I have to say, I am rather bemused as to why he has decided to take that step”, he said.
“I don’t think he has been inside the tent agitating and trying to push us in directions we aren’t leaning anyway with the possible exception of welfare.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
- POLL OF THE DAY: Do you agree with Danny Kruger that the Conservative Party 'is over'? VOTE NOW
- The PM just put the final nail in his party's coffin. But hold off popping the cork - Carole Malone
- Nigel Farage on collision course with Ed Miliband's agenda as poll reveals surprising verdict
“Danny’s view is we should abolish the two-child cap within the welfare system which would mean additional welfare spending which, of course, Reform is committed to.
“Outside of that, when you look at the general economic direction we’re taking, pushing towards lower taxes, a more dynamic economy, lots of big supply-side reforms and so on, these are all things I think he believes in.
Nigel Farage has announced that Danny Kruger has defected to Reform UK | PA“I’m sorry to see him go but I don’t fully understand why he has decided to do what he has done.”
GB News host Ellie Costello said Mr Kruger has gone on record hitting out at the inner workings of the Conservative Party, branding it a “sham”.
She said not being able to keep hold of somebody who has been a part of the party for two decades does not reflect well on Ms Badenoch’s leadership.
Mr Stride insisted the Tories are pushing in the right direction and Mr Kruger’s defection will not be a distraction.
“I think what is clearly the case is we have come off the back of a very painful election in which the electorate rejected us very soundly”, he said.
“We recognise we have to do the long, hard yards of regaining trust with the electorate. Part of that, of course, is being an effective opposition.
“What you’ve seen very recently is us holding this Government to account. You mentioned the Mandelson-Epstein scandal that is happening at the moment and the emergency debate we have forced today.
“We forced Angela Rayner’s resignation and we’re holding them to account on the economy, small boats and so on.
Danny Kruger spoke to Eamonn Holmes and Ellie Costello on GB News
|GB NEWS
“We know it will take time to regain the confidence of the electorate but I am confident that, under Kemi, we can do that, but we have to hold our nerve.”
Mr Kruger has been an MP since 2019, and worked as Shadow Work and Pensions Minister on Ms Badenoch’s team.
Mr Farage called a press conference to announce the defection, in which Mr Kruger declared “the Conservatives are over”.
Mr Kruger said he had been “honoured” to be asked to help Reform prepare for Government and said he hopes Mr Farage will become Prime Minister.
The East Wiltshire MP has said he will not be triggering a by-election in his constituency.
GB News spoke to locals in Marlborough to find out what locals think about having a Reform MP as opposed to a Tory.
One said: “This is a bad state of affairs. We should have a by-election because I didn’t vote for him to not be in the Conservative Party.”
Another hailed it as “fantastic news”, adding: “This is what he wants to do, and he is a man of the people.
“He knows what he should be doing to help us all. He is very active in the community, with the traffic situation and he has our best interests at heart.”