Another Conservative MP Has Just Defected To UKIP

Mark Reckless announced he was leaving the Conservatives in Doncaster at UKIP’s largest ever political party conference.
















PA Wire/Press Association Images Gareth Fuller











UKIP landed another massive blow on the Conservatives today when a Tory MP defected to the right-wing party. The announcement that Mark Reckless would join UKIP was made as the party held its largest ever conference at Doncaster Racecourse.

A party official told News: "Only a handful of people were aware in advance of Reckless's decision. Party press officers were told shortly before."

"So few people knew about this that he's [only] now being introduced to key people in UKIP," he added.

The party has apparently cleared the defection with the existing UKIP candidate for Reckess's constituency, Rochester and Strood, who has agreed to step aside. This will avoid the embarrassing situation that happened in Clacton when the existing candidate refused to step aside after Douglas Carswell defected from the Conservatives.

News understands that Chris Bruni-Lowe, a former Conservative party worker and former UKIP campaign manager, was heavily involved in convincing Reckless to defect.

Following a speech by Nigel Farage, Reckless said: "Today I am leaving the Conservative party." He later added that he is stepping down as an MP and has therefore forced a by-election.



























The MP said he has found it difficult to keep promises as a Conservative politician, adding: "The leadership of the Conservative Party is part of the problem."

The news will come as an embarrassment for the prime minister, as only yesterday Reckless sent a tweet saying that he would lead a bus full of campaigners in Birmingham on Sunday and then in Clacton next week.

Labour MPs were quick to mock Cameron, pointing out that there could be further defections.







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