Ex-home secretary Suella Braverman becomes the latest Tory to DEFECT to Reform UK, saying ‘it feels like I have come home’

Suella Braverman became the latest Tory to defect to Reform UK, saying today ‘I feel like I’m home’.

The former Conservative home secretary, once fired by Liz Truss, was unveiled by Nigel Farage in London and claimed he was “devoting time to Tory lies”.

After appearing alongside a radiant Nigel Farage at the Reform Veterans launch, he attacked his former party for its refusal to take the UK out of the European Convention on Human Rights.

He said that even if it won the next election, the Conservative Party would never be able to withdraw the UK from the ECHR.

Ms Braverman said Nigel Farage was the only ‘boldly consistent’ person in UK politics and claimed: He said that a minister’s call to leave the ECHR led to his ‘dismissal’ and ‘punishment’ on the grounds that he ‘told the truth’.

‘I’m looking for time. I give time to the Tory betrayal. I’m making time for Tory lies. “I am giving time to a party that continues to make promises without any intention of keeping them,” he said.

‘I feel like I’ve come home.’

His long-trumpeted move comes just a week after his Home Office deputy, Robert Jenrick, also left the Conservative Party and switched to Reform alongside shadow minister Andrew Rosunull.

After appearing alongside a beaming Nigel Farage, he attacked his former party over its refusal to take the UK out of the European Convention on Human Rights.

He said he would not stand in the by-election but would represent the Hampshire seat of Havant and Waterlooville for his new party. The number of deputies increased to eight.

a conservative spokesman in question: ‘It was not a question of if Suella would escape, but when. The Conservatives did our best to look after Suella’s mental health, but he was clearly very unhappy.

‘He says he feels he’s ‘coming home’ and this will come as a surprise to people who have chosen not to elect a Reform MP in their constituency in 2024.’

Ms Braverman, who is on the right wing of the Conservatives, has long called for her former party to strike an electoral deal with Reform.

last year that Appeared at a press conference with Reform’s dHouse leader Richard Tice fueled defection speculation.

But today’s move comes just months after her husband Rael left Reform after criticizing her record in government.

And it comes after Mr Farage’s harsh criticism of his talent.

Two years ago, when he was Home Affairs Minister, he said he offered “nothing” to address illegal immigration.

He told the event in central London today: ‘Britain is truly torn apart. He’s in pain. He is not well. Immigration is out of control. Our public services are on their knees. People don’t feel safe.

‘Our young people are leaving the country for a better future elsewhere. We cannot even defend ourselves and our nation remains weak and humiliated on the world stage. So we are at a crossroads.

‘We can either continue on the path of controlled decline into weakness and surrender. Or we can fix our country, take back our power, rediscover our power.

‘I believe a better Britain is possible. Because I believe this is possible, I am announcing today that I am resigning from the Conservative Party.

Ms Braverman said Nigel Farage was the only man in UK politics who was ‘boldly consistent’ and claimed a minister’s call to leave the ECHR led to him being ‘dismissed’ and ‘punished’ for ‘telling the truth’.

But today’s move comes just months after her husband Rael left Reform after criticizing her record in government.

Former shadow justice secretary Mr Jenrick joined Reform 10 days ago after being sacked by Ms Badenoch.

‘I have resigned from the Conservative whip and my party membership, after 30 years of party membership. Gone. Today is over.

‘And I’m joining Reform UK because I believe with all my heart and soul that a better future is possible for us.’

Mr Farage has set May 7, the date of key local elections in which they hope to make significant gains, as a cut-off point for current and former MPs to be admitted and local councilors to defect.

Former shadow justice secretary Mr Jenrick joined Reform 10 days ago after being sacked from the Conservative Party by Kemi Badenoch.

He was followed by Mr Rosunull, the shadow foreign secretary who flouted the party’s Chagos Islands policy.

These add to a growing number of Conservative MPs, past and present, who have decided they have a better chance with Reform.

Labor leader Anna Turley said: ‘Nigel Farage is filling his party with the failing Tories responsible for the chaos and decline that has held Britain back for 14 years.

‘Suella Braverman helped fail Brexit and was sacked as home secretary; his defection shows Farage is willing to accept the worst of the Conservative Party and reveals his complete lack of judgement.‘

Hard-line former home secretary bridled by Tory moderation

Suella Braverman is the daughter of immigrants who came to Britain in search of a better life and succeeded.

The 45-year-old mother of two is of Indian origin. Her parents, Uma and Christie Fernandes, have Goan and Mauritian connections, but emigrated to Britain from East Africa in the 1960s before establishing base in Harrow, north-west London.

She was born in 1980 and named Sue-Ellen by her mother, who was a fan of the hit US soap opera Dallas at the time. But primary school teachers, unable to deal with the hyphen, named her Suella, and that’s how it stuck.

A nurse by profession, Ms. Fernandes ensured that politics was a part of family life. Having served as a Tory councilor for 16 years, he also failed to stand for Parliament in 2001 and 2003.

His daughter was a potential Conservative Prime Minister, but after making a name for herself as the most right-wing home secretary of the modern era, he left the Conservative Party to try his luck elsewhere.

While in office he promised to end the expensive use of hotels to house immigrants, attacked trans rights and attacked Keir Starmer for being ‘woke’ and ‘taking the knee’ to Starmer. He also criticized Labor for its links to Just Stop Oil.

Outside of politics, Ms Braverman also has two children with her husband Rael, whom she married in the House of Commons in 2018.

The 43-year-old mother of two is of Indian origin. Her parents, Uma and Christie Fernandes, have Goan and Mauritian connections, but emigrated to Britain from East Africa in the 1960s before establishing base in Harrow, north-west London.

This staunch Brexiteer served faithfully as Attorney-General in Boris Johnson’s Cabinet, even winning a change to allow her to take maternity leave and return; This was something no Cabinet official had done before.

He was later appointed home secretary, replacing Priti Patel.

His tough approach on immigration has sparked controversy and complaints from other Tory MPs.

In a speech to a US think tank in 2023, he said the ‘misguided dogma of multiculturalism’ posed an ‘existential threat’ to the West and that refugee rules drafted after the Second World War needed reform.

He slammed his critics, both in the Conservative Party and across politics, and said he was a hate figure for speaking the “clear, plain truth”.

Ms Braverman herself was an early adopter of Tory values ​​and was president of the Cambridge University Conservative Association while studying law.

After two unsuccessful parliamentary runs, he was elected MP for Fareham in Hampshire in 2015 and quickly rose through the party ranks.

Outside of politics, Ms Braverman also has two children with her husband Rael, whom she married in the House of Commons in 2018.

He has faced questions over his affiliation with the controversial Buddhist Triratna sect.

The Triratna sect, formerly one of Buddhism’s largest sects in the UK, has been the subject of allegations of historic sexual abuse.

Ms Braverman is believed to have attended meetings and retreats organized by the group and was known within the sect as a ‘mitra’ or friend.