Maria Caulfield becomes latest senior Tory to defect to Reform UK

<p>Former health minister announces decision a day after MP Danny Kruger joined Nigel Farage’s party</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2025/sep/16/starmer-cabinet-resignation-paul-ovenden-news-updates-uk-politics-live">UK politics live – latest updates</a></p></li></ul><p>Another senior Conservative has defected to Reform UK, with the former health minister Maria Caulfield saying she signed up to Nigel Farage’s party a month ago.</p><p>Although Caulfield is no longer an MP after losing her Lewes seat to the Liberal Democrats last year, it is another blow for the Tories, a day after Danny Kruger, a sitting Tory MP and the shadow work and pensions minister, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/sep/15/danny-kruger-mp-says-tory-party-is-over-after-he-defects-to-reform">announced he had</a> moved to Reform.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/sep/16/tories-defect-reform-uk-maria-caulfield">Continue reading...</a>