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| Tory MP Mark Reckless joins UKIP | Tory MP Mark Reckless joins UKIP |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Conservative MP Mark Reckless has announced that he is joining UKIP. | |
| The Rochester and Strood MP told the UKIP conference, in Doncaster, that he has resigned as an MP, triggering a by-election in the constituency. | |
| Delegates started to spontaneously chant "UKIP, UKIP" when Mr Reckless announced his decision to defect, which he said was not easy. | |
| The move comes just weeks after Clacton MP Douglas Carswell defected from the Conservatives to join UKIP. | The move comes just weeks after Clacton MP Douglas Carswell defected from the Conservatives to join UKIP. |
| Mr Carswell announced that he would stand down as an MP in his constituency to seek re-election in a by-election. | |
| Appearing on stage to a rapturous reception at the conference, he said: "Today I am leaving the Conservative party and joining UKIP." | |
| Commenting on his decision, Mr Reckless said he had not taken it lightly. | |
| He claimed the Conservative leadership was "part of the problem that is holding our country back". | |
| Mr Reckless said voters felt "ripped off and lied to". | |
| He won his seat in 2010 with 23,604 votes - 49% of the vote. Labour's Teresa Murray came second, with 13,651 votes. |