Robert Jenrick, a close ally of Danny Kruger, insisted he would not follow his move to Reform UK.

The Shadow Justice Secretary told GB News: “No. It’s only a year into a four or five-year Parliament. A lot can and will happen in the years ahead.

“The most important thing is to focus on changing the Conservative Party and that means being painfully honest about the mistakes we made in government, levelling with the public about those, demonstrating that we are a different party to the one we were when we were in office and then bringing forward serious answers so we can begin to regain the trust of the public.”

The Reform UK group leader on Wiltshire Council said the party was “delighted” to welcome Danny Kruger after his defection from the Conservatives.

Councillor Ed Rimmer said: “We’re delighted to welcome him. He’s been someone who I’ve personally had a lot of respect for for a long time.

“I think he’s a great parliamentarian, and I think him heading up our department of preparing for government is something that’s very exciting, because if we’re going to form the next government, we’ll need a lot of new members of parliament, and having some real experience there is crucial.”

Discussing the defection, Mr Rimmer, who himself defected to Reform from the Conservatives last year, said: “It can be difficult, not least on a personal level, because you have friends and associates involved in your local party.

“But I think he’s done the right thing, and I think he’s right that the Conservative Party being a party of government is just not the future anymore. They’ve let down too many of their voters, and I think most former Conservative voters would rather see us in power than the Conservatives these days.”

The Conservative group leader on Wiltshire Council said it was “very disappointing” that East Wiltshire MP Danny Kruger has defected to Reform UK.

Councillor Richard Clewer said: “I’m personally very disappointed.

“I know Danny, I’ve always got on with him very well. He was elected as a Conservative MP a little over a year ago. He was out campaigning with my team in the local elections last year.

“I think it’s really disappointing that he would change party in those circumstances. His residents voted for him as a Conservative, they would expect him to be a Conservative MP.”

Find out more about the now Reform UK MP here.

A Labour Party spokesperson said: “Every Conservative who defects to Reform ties Nigel Farage more closely to their record of failure.

“Nigel Farage can recruit as many failed Tories as he likes – it won’t change the fact that he has no plan for Britain.

“The Tories crashed our economy and left public services crumbling. Britain deserves better than Reform’s Tory tribute act that would leave working people paying a very high price.

“Only this Labour Government is driving forwards delivery to make working people better off and give our country the renewal it needs.”

Asked about the defection of Danny Kruger, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said the party “is not going to get blown off course by these sorts of incidents”.

Nigel Farage reveals the topic of next week’s press conference.

Danny Kruger said he has “no idea” whether other Conservatives MPs are in talks with Reform UK about defecting to the party, but said he hopes his former colleagues “follow me”.

Mr Kruger said: “I would hope that colleagues who share my view about the crisis the country is in and the opportunity that Reform offers to save our country.

“In terms of what conversations are under way, I have absolutely no idea, and that is best left to the leader.”

Responding, Mr Farage said: “We keep everything under wraps. When we have negotiations, nothing leaks.

“None of you had a clue that Danny would be joining us today, and that is how we operate.”

Danny Kruger says Reform’s general election manifesto must be “a properly worked out plan” and not “soundbites”.

Nigel Farage says he is worried about the number of young people fleeing the UK.

“My prediction is that after next May, the Conservative Party will cease to be a national party” because they will perform so badly in May’s Scottish and Welsh elections, says Nigel Farage.

Danny Kruger told the Conservative Party this morning he was defecting. He was a shadow minister before today.

He also says Robert Jenrick could perhaps have saved the Conservative Party if he was leader, but it’s too late now.

Mr Kruger says Kemi Badenoch’s strategy has failed.

Nigel Farage has just dealt Kemi Badenoch the biggest blow to her hopes yet, and frankly it’s not clear how she’ll recover.

Reform pulled off a major coup this morning, unveiling sitting Tory MP Danny Kruger as its latest – and most significant – defection.

Speaking from experience, the MP for East Wiltshire was one of the few lasting hopes for radical conservatives sticking with the Tory Party. He is far more substantial than any of the other Tories who’ve crossed the floor.

Make no mistake, he was one of Kemi’s best thinkers, a philosophical powerhouse, a serious thinker. He’s very much drawn from the Robert Jenrick/Katie Lam/Nick Timothy wing of the party.

Those with energy, radical thinking, and who gave hope to the remaining Tory radicals in the party’s grassroots that maybe things could get better.

A hope that there are people waiting in the wings to take the baton from Kemi Badenoch, sooner or later, and take the party back up to full revs.

His departure will be the biggest flashing warning light imaginable to those Tory Party members, and could well dent any remaining hope for the party’s future.

But the East Wiltshire MP says the Conservatives failed to return government to the people, particularly during Covid, and failed on immigration.

Nigel Farage says about people flying union flags and other British flags: “It is a collective two fingers up to a British establishment that they feel utterly betrayed by.”

Danny Kruger says he is not “jumping ship to save my skin” and in fact is taking a big political risk.

“The best hope we have, maybe our last hope … is Nigel Farage,” says Danny Kruger.

Turning to his new job, Danny Kruger said: “Our mission is not just to overthrow the current system, it is to restore the system we need.”

Danny Kruger told the press conference: “I hoped after our defeat last year that the Conservative Party would learn the obvious lesson, that the old ways don’t work, that centrism is not enough, that real change is needed.

“But no. We have had a year of stasis and drift and the sham unity that comes from not doing anything bold or difficult or controversial.

“And the result is in the polls. And those lost voters aren’t coming back, and every day, more and more people are joining them in deserting a party that has failed.

“And so this is my tragic conclusion: the Conservative Party is over, over as a national party, over as the principal opposition to the left.”

Danny Kruger, the MP for East Wiltshire, has defected from the Conservatives to Reform UK.

Nigel Farage says the process for preparing for government begins today.

He’s about to unveil the man in charge of that preparation.

This will include policy and recruiting potential ministers.

Nigel Farage previously predicted that a general election, which is due in 2029, could be held in 2027.

But today the Reform UK leader says recent events suggest it might be even sooner.

Nigel Farage has condemned the state of free speech in Britain, once again calling the justice system ‘two-tier’.

He highlighted death threats made against him in the wake of the Charlie Kirk assassination.

The Met Police has now said they don’t meet the threshold for further action.

It’s been a very long busy and successful summer for Reform UK, says Nigel Farage.

A couple of weeks ago I was told by a Reform UK source that the party will be moving onto the cost of living as its main talking point after their conference.

If true, this would come after a very successful summer focusing on migration and crime.

As I say, Reform is remaining tight lipped about today’s presser, but it could very well be the start of a relentless hammering on Rachel Reeves.

Nigel Farage has confessed that he failed to register a trip to a Donald Trump Florida fundraiser in his register of MP interests.

Mr Farage said: “Unfortunately, these submissions were not added to the register. This was an error … A correction to the record will be made tomorrow along with an apology to the registrar.”

Reform is remaining tight-lipped about today’s presser, merely saying that Nigel Farage is speaking – though that doesn’t rule out him being accompanied by someone.

Whatever Mr Farage says we can guarantee the Q&A session afterwards will be illuminating.

Expect questions about the weekend’s Tommy Robinson rally, which saw a couple dozen protesters arrested; Elon Musk’s comments at the rally; and further tax questions about the purchasing of a house in Clacton.

It will undoubtedly be a fun watch…