In a significant blow to Rishi Sunak's leadership, veteran Conservative MP Andrew Rosindell has crossed the floor to join Nigel Farage's Reform UK. The Member of Parliament for Romford announced his defection on social media, declaring it was time to "put country before party."
A 'Red Line' Issue: Sovereignty of the Chagos Islands
Rosindell, who first entered Parliament in 2001 and has represented Romford for over two decades, pinpointed a specific foreign policy failure as the catalyst for his departure. He stated that the Conservative Party's position on the Chagos Islands represented an irreconcilable breach of principle.
"The failure of the Conservative party... to actively hold the government to account on the issue of Chagossian self-determination and the defence of British sovereignty, represents a clear red line for me," Rosindell wrote. He accused both the government and the opposition of being "complicit in the surrender of this sovereign British territory to a foreign power."
From Thatcherite Teenager to Reform UK Recruit
The 59-year-old politician revealed his long personal history with the Tories, having first joined the party at the age of 14, inspired by the principles of Margaret Thatcher. His defection marks a symbolic and practical setback for the Conservatives, adding to a growing list of high-profile departures.
Rosindell follows former cabinet ministers Robert Jenrick and Nadhim Zahawi in leaving the Conservatives for Reform UK. In his statement, he expressed a profound disillusionment, claiming the party was "irreparably bound to the mistakes of previous governments" and that the concerns of his Romford constituents had been "consistently ignored for far too long."
Political Repercussions and a Shifting Landscape
This move significantly bolsters Reform UK's presence in Westminster and provides the party with an experienced parliamentary figure. It intensifies the pressure on the Conservative leadership from the right, particularly on issues of national sovereignty and immigration.
The defection of a sitting MP who has held his seat for 23 years underscores the deep fractures within the Conservative Party as it faces a formidable electoral challenge. Rosindell's decision to switch allegiance, driven by a specific point of principle on overseas territory, signals a potentially volatile period in British politics where traditional party loyalties are increasingly fragile.
