Tory MP Lee Anderson has defected to Reform UK. Speaking at an impromptu press conference this morning, the former deputy Tory party chairman – who lost the Conservative whip last month over his comments on Islamists controlling London – said that he was switching to Richard Tice’s party as the current ‘parliament doesn’t seem to understand’ what British people want. Anderson said he wants ‘his country back’ and believes Reform is the party best placed to do this.

There are plenty of Tory MPs saying Anderson was never a true conservative anyway

This is not a surprising defection. Anderson has long been on ‘Reform watch’ as a Tory MP – seen as a candidate who could be tempted to jump ship if the Tories were too soft on issues such as immigration. However, the chances of him doing so shot up last month when No. 10 suspended Anderson after he used an appearance on GB News to say London mayor Sadiq Khan had ‘given our capital away’ to Islamists, who he referred to as Khan’s ‘mates’.

Anderson made clear that his treatment by the Tory party is what has pushed him into switching sides: ‘My opinions are not controversial – they are shared by millions of people up and down the country’. He said he is not going to ever apologise for the comments and the Reform party supports him here as they want him to speak out for those ‘who feel that they’re not being listened to’.

Tice kicked off the press conference in London by praising Anderson as his new ‘champion in the red wall’. He spoke of how ‘delighted’ he was to have Anderson – Reform’s first MP – on board. However, the Q&A session that followed the two speeches by the men pointed to potential tensions. Anderson was asked about his previous comments describing Tice as a ‘pound-shop Nigel Farage’ and declaring that ‘Reform is not the answer’. Anderson brushed the comments off, suggesting that things had moved on since he said those things and that the fallout from his Islamist comments meant even his parents were telling him to join Reform. Still, Anderson wasn’t too keen to dwell on some points, such as whether a man who was previously Labour and most recently Tory could really stick to any party long term.

Anderson’s departure is clearly problematic for Sunak. There are plenty of Tory MPs who are already saying Anderson was never a true conservative anyway – and he has been removed from the Tory WhatsApp groups. Others say it is only Nigel Farage who could really boost Reform in a significant way. However, at a time when the Tory party’s polling is dismal and with little sign of a Budget bounce, this is the last thing Sunak needed. Tice has suggested more defections could follow – with other 2019 intake MPs seen as the most likely to follow Anderson. The risk is that it gives Reform a boost at a time when the party is already rising in the polls. If that happens, predictions of a coming Tory wipeout will only grow louder.