Romford MP Andrew Rosindell becomes latest Tory to defect to Reform | Reform UK
Conservative MP Andrew Rosundall has joined Reform UK, the party has announced.
Rosundall, who has been the MP for Romford since 2001, said on the X channel that he joined the Conservative Party at the age of 14, inspired by the principles championed by Margaret Thatcher, but “it is time to put the country before the party”.
“The failure of the Conservative party, both in government and more recently in opposition, to actively hold the government to account on Chagossian self-determination and the defense of British sovereignty represents a clear red line for me.
“Since I entered parliament in 2001, I have consistently argued, both on the backbenches and on the front benches, that the Chagossian people’s right to self-determination is sacred and that they alone should decide the future sovereignty of the Chagos Islands.
“Sadly, these concerns have fallen on deaf ears. Both the government and the opposition have been complicit in the handing over of these sovereign British territories to a foreign power. This was made clear when their Conservative colleagues failed to reject the British Indian Ocean territories bill at third reading earlier this month, in line with the directive from the top of the party.
“Unfortunately, I now believe that the Conservative party is irreparably committed to the mistakes of previous governments and is unwilling to take meaningful responsibility for the poor decisions made on so many issues. Moreover, the views and concerns of voters like mine in Romford have been consistently ignored for too long.”
Rosundall, 59, follows a growing list of Conservatives defecting to Nigel Farage’s party, including Robert Jenrick and Nadhim Zahawi.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said Rosunull had been driven “mad” by “the Tories’ lies and hypocrisy about the Chagos Islands”.
In a message published on X, Mr Farage said: “I am delighted to welcome Andrew Rosunull to Reform UK.
“Andrew is a great patriot. The Conservative Party’s lies and hypocrisy regarding the Chagos Islands betrayal have pushed him to the brink.
“It will make a great contribution to our May 7 campaign.”
The reform set May 7, the date of local elections where they hope to make significant gains, as a cutoff point for the admission of current and former MPs and the defection of councillors.
