The Conservatives have been hit by another defection after ex-MP Ben Bradley joined Reform UK to help with their cost-cutting drive across local councils.
Mr Bradley, who was Tory MP for Mansfield until last year’s general election, said Reform ‘is the only party that is prepared to be different’ as he announced his switch.
The 36-year-old is also a former leader of Nottinghamshire County Council and will be joining Reform’s ‘DOGE’ team to help cut waste in local government.
Those efforts are modelled on the work of US President Donald Trump‘s ‘Department of Government Efficiency’ in America.
Earlier this year, Mr Bradley said he would take some time out from frontline politics following his general election defeat and a failed bid to become East Midlands mayor.
He stood down as a backbench county councillor in Nottinghamshire ahead of May’s local elections after an ‘intense’ few years in politics.
But his defection to Reform will now see him take on a top role in Nigel Farage’s party as ‘Head of Local Government Action’.
He is the 22nd former Tory MP to join Reform’s ranks, following the defection of three fellow ‘Red Wall’ Conservatives at the beginning of this month.
The Conservatives have been hit by another defection after ex-MP Ben Bradley joined Reform UK to help with their cost-cutting drive across local councils
Mr Bradley (far right) was appointed as a Conservative Party vice-chairman in 2018 but later quit the role in protest at Theresa May’s Brexit plan
Mr Bradley was elected to Ashfield District Council in May 2015, before being elected to Nottinghamshire County Council in May 2017 and then becoming Mansfield MP in June 2017.
His election to Parliament in a ‘Red Wall’ seat was a foreshadowing of the Tories’ success in traditional Labour areas at the 2019 general election.
He stood down as a district councillor following his election to Parliament but became leader of Nottinghamshire County Council in 2021, which saw him dubbed ‘three jobs’.
Mr Bradley quit as a Conservative Party vice-chairman in 2018 in protest at Theresa May’s Brexit plan.
Announcing his defection to Reform, he said: ‘I’ve been out of politics altogether for a little while, but I feel strongly that I can’t sit on the sidelines any more and watch our country fail.
‘I’ve come to the conclusion that Reform UK is the only party that is prepared to be different and to tackle the most pressing issues.
‘I’ve been impressed with their recent policy announcements and the clarity they have on a range of issues, and that’s why I’m joining today.’
Reform’s deputy leader Richard Tice said: ‘Ben brings a wealth of experience as a former local authority leader and MP for Mansfield.
‘His expertise will help us provide strong leadership and deliver real results for councils across the country.
