Nigel Farage secures highest profile defection coup yet as ex-Cabinet Minister joins Reform UK

The Tory trio join former Conservative Minister Dame Andrea Jenkyns, ex-Red Wall MP Marco Longhi and former Tory MP Aidan Burley in Reform's ranks.

Jones, who was a card-carrying Tory member for more than half-a-century, served as Welsh Secretary between 2012 to 2014, later working as a Brexit Minister under Theresa May.

He told GB News in a statement: “Today, Reform UK is the party that best represents my views — and, I believe, those of many others who have become disillusioned with the two old major parties.

“Across the country, people are rightly concerned about the rising cost of living, the escalating crisis of illegal immigration, and the steady erosion of our national sovereignty.

"Neither the Government nor the official Opposition is addressing these issues with the urgency or resolve they demand - indeed, the Government is actively surrendering our sovereignty at an alarming rate.

“Only Reform UK is demonstrating the determination needed to tackle the country’s many problems and to improve the lives of people across Britain."

• Nigel Farage 'snubbed' as Emmanuel Macron to meet Kemi Badenoch and Ed Davey - but NOT Reform leader
• ‘Good, bad and ugly!’ Nigel Farage’s three big tests REVEALED as allies confront roadblocks to No10
• 'Never forgive them!' Nigel Farage blasts Badenoch aide over claim Tories have finished apologising

Jones also served as deputy chairman of the highly-influential European Research Group of Tory MPs from 2019 to 2024.

The 72-year-old joined the Tory Party in 1970 and told the party's then-chairman Richard Fuller in last October that he was planning to leave the Conservatives in January this year.

Jones, who represented Clwyd West in the House of Commons from 2005 to 2024, said he did not receive a reply.

He added: “I left the Conservative Party in January, bringing to an end more than 50 years of continuous membership. It was, naturally, a very difficult decision for me.

• I visited Reform's new HQ. But did I find a Government-in-waiting or a protest movement?
• ‘Ain’t seen nothing yet!’ Farage sets sights on No10 as Reform insiders reveal reason behind surge
• 'Don't talk about him!' Boris Johnson tells Tories to ignore Reform as ex-PM defends migrant record

“As a matter of courtesy, I wrote to the party chairman in October to inform him of my intention not to renew my membership. I did not receive a reply.

“I joined the Conservatives all those years ago because I believed it was the party that best reflected my values and beliefs. Regrettably, that is no longer the case."

Jones also said that he was not joining Reform UK with any intention of returning to the political frontline.

He said: “I have joined Reform UK as a private individual and have no intention of seeking elected office. But I will give the party my full support in the elections ahead.”

• Kemi Badenoch aide says Tories have finished apologising for past 14 years - 'We've done all that!'
• How landmark Reform-Tory deal sets the stage for the future of British politics
• Reform’s newest Tory defector lands explosive parting blow after growing ‘sick of lying’

However, Reform UK is preparing for a major test next year in Jones's home patch of Wales, with Farage identifying next year's Welsh Parliament Election as a "priority".

Jones's defection also comes after five other former Conservative MPs have jumped ship to Reform UK.

Ex-Newton Abbott MP Anne Marie Morris last week announced her switch to lead Reform’s social care policy.

The 68-year-old had the whip removed by the Tories: once in 2017 for using the n-word in a debate about Brexit, for which she apologised unreservedly; and once in 2022 when she supported a Labour proposal to cut VAT on energy bill, saying it was the right thing to do.

That came after Ross Thomson, who was Conservative MSP and later MP for Aberdeen South from 2017 to 2019, defected to Reform.

Thomson told GB News: "It’s been a long time coming. Something I’ve been considering for years as I became more, and more, disillusioned with the Conservatives.

"It’s been the best decision. I feel it’s right for me, I feel at home, and all the local members have been so friendly, welcoming, and supportive.

"Reform are already causing tremors on Scottish politics. As we become focused on the upcoming election I’m convinced will cause an earthquake at Holyrood - and it’s needed."