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| Former Conservative minister Maria Caulfield defects to Reform | Former Conservative minister Maria Caulfield defects to Reform |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Former Conservative health minister Maria Caulfield has become the latest Tory to join Nigel Farage's Reform UK Party. | Former Conservative health minister Maria Caulfield has become the latest Tory to join Nigel Farage's Reform UK Party. |
| Caulfield lost her seat to the Lib Dems at last year's general election after nearly nine years as the MP for Lewes. | Caulfield lost her seat to the Lib Dems at last year's general election after nearly nine years as the MP for Lewes. |
| She told GB News she joined Reform a month ago because the Conservative Party had become "less and less what I believe in". | She told GB News she joined Reform a month ago because the Conservative Party had become "less and less what I believe in". |
| Reform confirmed she has joined as a member. Caulfield is the 15th former Tory MP to join the party. | |
| The latest defection comes after Danny Kruger, who sat on Tory leader Kemi Badenoch's team as a shadow work and pensions minister, became the first sitting Tory MP to defect on Monday. | |
| Caulfield told GB News: "The [Reform] party needs a lot of experience of people who know the system and can talk about this." | Caulfield told GB News: "The [Reform] party needs a lot of experience of people who know the system and can talk about this." |
| "If you are Conservative right-minded, then the future is Reform. The country is going to change a lot," she said. | "If you are Conservative right-minded, then the future is Reform. The country is going to change a lot," she said. |
| "The same people who thought that Brexit would not happen think that Reform will not happen. They are in for a shock." | "The same people who thought that Brexit would not happen think that Reform will not happen. They are in for a shock." |
| She added: "I am sad for the Conservative Party. I could see that I have not changed but the party has become less and less what I believe in." | She added: "I am sad for the Conservative Party. I could see that I have not changed but the party has become less and less what I believe in." |
| Responding to the defection, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch told broadcasters: "Conservatives are the only party that are talking about how we need to deliver a stronger economy, living within our means, cutting welfare spending. | |
| "We have got a plan to start getting growth back - Labour do not, and Reform are merely focused on Westminster bubble issues about who is in which party. | |
| "That's not going to make life better for all the people out there." | |
| Caulfield is a Brexit supporter and quit her role as Tory vice chair in protest at Theresa May's 2018 attempt at a softer withdrawal from the EU, known as the Chequers deal. | Caulfield is a Brexit supporter and quit her role as Tory vice chair in protest at Theresa May's 2018 attempt at a softer withdrawal from the EU, known as the Chequers deal. |
| At the time, she told May her plan would not capitalise on the opportunities of Brexit. | At the time, she told May her plan would not capitalise on the opportunities of Brexit. |
| She has previously served in a number of junior ministerial roles, including as a health minister. | She has previously served in a number of junior ministerial roles, including as a health minister. |
| Her appointment by May as minister for women in 2018 sparked a backlash from women's rights groups because of her opposition to decriminalising abortion. | Her appointment by May as minister for women in 2018 sparked a backlash from women's rights groups because of her opposition to decriminalising abortion. |
| The BBC has contacted Caulfield for comment. | The BBC has contacted Caulfield for comment. |
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