The former Conservative minister, who served under Rishi Sunak and Boris Johnson, has just announced that she is passionate about reform.
While she is no longer a sitting MP, Maria Caulfield’s announcement comes hot on the heels of shadow Tory minister Danny Krieger’s notable floor crossing on Monday.
Caulfield, who lost his seat to the Liberal Democrats in 2024, actually joined the party a month ago but only announced it today.
The former Lewes MP told GB News: “If you are a conservative right-winger, the future is reform. The country is going to change a lot.
“The same people who thought Brexit wouldn’t happen think reform won’t happen. They’re in shock.”
It is the latest indication that the Tories are bleeding support for Nigel Farage’s party.
But it’s worth noting that Caulfield’s change of allegiance is nowhere near as damaging as Krueger’s, who just yesterday sat on Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch’s front bench.
However, it also feeds into the narrative that Reform could become Conservative 2.0 – especially after Krueger declared that Reform is “the torch of new conservatism.”
Even so, Tory Shadow Chancellor Mel Stride defended his party after Krueger declared the Conservatives were “over” on Tuesday morning.
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “I’m sorry to see Danny go, but his analysis is wrong.
“We don’t have an election for another four years. It’s certainly true that we had a devastating defeat about a year ago, that we lost the connection with the voters, the trust in the voters, and it’s also true that we’re going to need time to rebuild that.”
However, he added: “We have to hold our nerve.”
Caulfield has joined a growing list of figures who no longer sit in Parliament to switch sides, including high-profile figures such as former minister Dame Andrea Jenkyns – who is now the reform regional mayor for Greater Lincolnshire – and former culture secretary Nadine Dorries.
