Sir Jake Berry says Tories helped wreck Britain as he joins Farage’s Reform in dramatic defection

Sir Jake Berry, once a senior Conservative figure and party chairman, has dealt Rishi Sunak’s shattered party another brutal blow—defecting to Reform UK and accusing the Tories of abandoning the country they once served.

The former Northern Powerhouse minister, who lost his Rossendale and Darwen seat in 2024, launched a scathing attack on his former colleagues. Speaking after joining Nigel Farage’s Reform, Berry claimed the Conservative Party had “lost its way” and presided over Britain’s decline.

“Our streets are completely lawless,” he said. “Migration is out of control. Taxes are going through the roof.”

Berry, who previously held ministerial posts in multiple departments, including the Cabinet Office and Energy and Climate Change, declared his support for Reform as the “last chance to pull Britain back from terminal decline”.

He joins former Welsh secretary David Jones, who also recently abandoned the Conservatives after five decades of membership. Their defections mark a sharp escalation in Reform’s rise—and the deepening crisis within the Tory ranks.

In a statement first published by The Sun and later confirmed by Reform UK, Berry accused the Tories of “abandoning the British people” and insisted he was not stepping back, but stepping up.

“I’m staying. And I’m fighting—fighting for the Britain I want my kids, and one day, my grandkids, to grow up in,” he said.

Nigel Farage, now MP for Runcorn and Helsby and party leader, welcomed Berry’s defection, calling it “a very brave decision”.

“His admission that the Conservative government he was part of broke the country is unprecedented and principled,” Farage said.

The Conservative Party hit back sharply, accusing Reform of reckless economics and policy extremism. A spokesman said: “Reform support increasing the benefits bill by removing the two-child cap, and nationalising British industry. By contrast the Conservatives, under new leadership, will keep making the case for sound money, lower taxes and bringing the welfare bill under control.

“We wish Jake well in his new high spend, high tax party.”

Berry, however, doubled down. He blamed both Labour and Conservative administrations for twenty years of decline and said the country’s brightest were now fleeing abroad.

“This week, we saw record numbers of our brightest and best people leaving Britain because they can’t see a future here,” he warned. “Our benefits system is pulling in the world’s poor with no plan for integration and no control over who comes in.”

He slammed the tax system as punishing ambition and declared: “If you were deliberately trying to wreck the country, you’d be hard-pressed to do a better job than the last two decades of Labour and Tory rule.”

Backing Reform as the only path forward, Berry said: “With Nigel Farage leading Reform, we’ve got someone the country can actually trust. He doesn’t change his views to fit the mood of the day. And people respect that. So do I. That’s why I believe he should be our next prime minister.”

Labour dismissed the move, warning that Farage’s embrace of former Truss-era Conservatives signals a return to failed economic strategies.

A spokesperson said: “It’s clear Farage wants Liz Truss’s reckless economics, which crashed our economy and sent mortgages spiralling, to be Reform’s blueprint for Britain. It’s a recipe for disaster and working people would be left paying the price.”

Sir Jake Berry’s dramatic defection marks the latest high-profile shift in a rapidly fragmenting political landscape—one that could redefine the next general election.

THE GUARDIAN

Sir Jake Berry, former Conservative Party chair and cabinet minister, has defected to Reform UK, calling the Tories and Labour “equally to blame” for 20 years of national decline. In an article for The Sun, Berry said he had “resigned” from the Tories after 25 years, accusing them of abandoning their principles, voters, and him personally.

Berry—once a key ally of Boris Johnson and champion of the “northern powerhouse” agenda—lost his Rossendale and Darwen seat in 2024 but now brings organising clout to Reform, which he calls “the real opposition.”

His defection marks the most high-profile to Reform so far, joining former Welsh secretary David Jones and MPs Lee Anderson, Marco Longhi, and Andrea Jenkyns. Though no sitting Tory MPs have jumped ship, speculation swirls around Suella Braverman.

Berry urged voters disillusioned with both main parties to back Reform as the “last chance” to reclaim a Britain they could believe in.

BBC

Reform UK’s momentum is “making the political weather,” says BBC political editor Chris Mason, as the party racks up defections and forces both Labour and Conservatives to shift tactics. With ex-Conservative chairman Sir Jake Berry the latest high-profile defector, following David Jones, Anne Marie Morris and Ross Thomson, Reform now boasts growing influence despite holding just a few seats.

Berry’s brutal condemnation of 20 years of Tory and Labour rule as “wrecking the country” marks a watershed moment, given his senior past roles under Boris Johnson and Liz Truss. Reform sources say his defection is a “dagger in the heart” to Conservatives, especially given his ties to Johnson.

While Tories downplay the trend, Labour is notably recalibrating. Ministers are now treating Reform—not the Conservatives—as the primary threat, aware of Farage’s polling surge and real electoral wins. Labour warns of “reckless economics” but knows beating Reform will require long-term, proven delivery. Reform isn’t just surging—they’re setting the political agenda.