The Conservative Party candidate for the Greater Manchester mayoral election, Dan Barker, has defected to the Reform Party.
Barker said this morning he is "delighted" to be joining the party, describing it as the "new home of conservatism".
He added: "Reform represents the ordinary people of this country."
The activist from Sale was selected as the Conservative candidate in December 2023.
The Conservative Party candidate for the Greater Manchester mayoral election, Dan Barker, has defected to the Reform Party
PA
This comes just weeks after former Tory MP Lee Anderson announced his defection to the party.
In the 48 hours after Lee Anderson defected to Reform 2,000 people joined the party.
Membership of Reform UK costs £25 per year, meaning the party was handed around £50,000 in two days.
Party leader Richard Tice told GB News: "The good news on membership continues with 2,000 joining in the 48 hours since our press conference. Our email server has almost melted with messages of support and enthusiasm".
He claimed that people have donated more than the £25 required for membership, saying the average donation amounted to around £30.
A new poll has put Reform UK on its highest-ever support level, putting Richard Tice's party just four points behind the Tories.
The polling, conducted by YouGov, put the Conservative Party on 19 per cent support, while Reform UK was on 15 per cent support, an increase of one point.
Labour had a 25-point lead on the Tories at 44 per cent support.
The polling comes in the wake of Lee Anderson's decision to defect to the party, crossing the floor to the opposition benches from the Tory party.
Reacting to the latest figures, the MP for Ashfield said: "The gap is closing. At least one plan is working."
The polling, conducted by YouGov for the Times, was conducted between March 19 and 20.
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Tice said the "record numbers" of new members are "proof just how popular Lee Anderson is with many Red Wall voters" and "why he will be such a powerful Red Wall champion for us".
Anderson announced his defection to the party earlier this month, saying he is "prepared to gamble" on himself. Speaking at a press conference, the MP for Ashfield said he knows "how many people support Reform and what they have to say".
He added: "All I want is my country back."
