Remember me
This week we witnessed a truly seismic moment in British politics.
I firmly believe that in years to come, Robert Jenrick’s decision to join Reform UK will be seen as the day when the British centre-Right realigned: When Reform UK became the primary home for conservative-minded people across the country.
I also believe it will be seen as the moment that finally signalled the end of the Conservative Party’s viability as a credible political force.
As Robert so rightly put it at our Press conference on Thursday, the vast majority of senior Tories do not believe that Britain is broken. They think we should just simply muddle along as we are and our country should continue its inexorable slide to becoming a place where nothing works any more.
I’m sorry, but these people are either completely deluded or, more likely, simply unwilling to accept the mess they made after 14 years in government. Either way, they clearly are not the party to save Britain from the socialist nightmare we are enduring under this Labour government.
Those of us who recognise that Britain is truly broken are the only ones who can put in place the radical change that is needed.
This means leaving the European Court of Human Rights so we can deport foreign criminals and put the rights of British people first.
It means being shamelessly pro-business and pro-entrepreneur and putting in place measures that will make wealthy people want to return here and businesses want to invest.
Robert Jenrick shakes hands with Reform UK leader, Nigel Farage, after announcing his defection to Reform
'I firmly believe that in years to come, Robert Jenrick’s decision to join Reform UK will be seen as the day when the British centre-Right realigned,' says Nigel Farage
The Conservatives claim to be the party of business – but who was it who decided to abolish the ‘non-dom’ regime, which has resulted in thousands of high-spending, high-taxpaying residents fleeing the country?
Who was it who decided to shackle North Sea energy companies with insane windfall taxes that stifle investment and slash jobs? They were introduced under a Conservative chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, who as a businessman himself should know better than anyone that punishing wealth and success only drives investment away.
But then the truth is that the Conservative Party abandoned their core principles years ago. Instead, what we’ve been left with is a rather soggy collection of MPs, most of whom are Liberal Democrats in all but name.
Just look at their record over 14 years in government. For years, the Tories promised to sort out immigration. Result? Net migration soared to record numbers on their watch. They assured us they’d reform the benefits system – only for it to balloon to totally unsustainable levels. Time and again they promised to cut taxes. Sure enough, by the time they were finally booted from government, taxes were the highest they’d been since the Second World War.
Voters aren’t fools, as much as the Tories would like to think they are. They see through this mendaciousness. Which is why so many thousands have joined Reform UK and become part of its 271,000 paid-up membership, while Conservative numbers have slumped to less than half that.
In an impassioned defence of his choice, Mr Jenrick said: 'If we don't get the next government right Britain will likely slip beyond the point of repair.'
Mr Jenrick is now one of six Reform MPs in the House of Commons, alongside Mr Farage, Richard Tice, Lee Anderson, Sarah Pochin and Danny Kruger
Read More Farage unveils Jenrick as a new Reform MP at press conference... hours after Badenoch sacked him
They recognise that Reform UK are building a team to fix broken Britain. The local elections on May 7 are the single most important event before the next General Election. We will be contesting every council seat available. We’re going to throw everything at it and over the next four months we’ll be laying out our plans to tackle law and order, the cost of living and migration.
Meanwhile, the Conservative Party under Kemi Badenoch will continue to dwindle until the local elections – where I can confidently say they are going to be obliterated. As I have been predicting for some time, come the morning of May 8 they will cease to be a national party.
Now, I am well aware there will still be traditional Tory supporters out there, some of them no doubt Daily Mail readers, with an emotional attachment to the party.
On May 7, their pencils will be hovering tentatively over the ballot paper after years of marking a faithful ‘X’ next to the Conservative candidate.
To those decent, patriotic folk I say this: They don’t deserve your loyalty. The Conservative Party have brought this disaster upon themselves.
What you have seen with the high-profile Tory defections to Reform UK this week – first Nadhim Zahawi, then Robert Jenrick – was not a split, not a schism. Quite the opposite.
What we saw was a coming together of a centre-Right alliance that will go on to win the next election.
For those Conservative members of Parliament, or ex-members of Parliament or councillors who are interested in being part of this exciting new political revolution, I want to make it clear we are not here to prop up people’s careers.
We’re here for people who want to put their shoulder to the wheel and help us save the country. So let me make an ultimatum. If you want to come and join us, you have until May 7. After that, we won’t need you, and we won’t want you. Because, make no mistake, the turquoise tsunami is coming either way.
Nigel Farage is leader of Reform UK