Tim Montgomerie, founder of Conservative Home and former adviser to Boris Johnson, has defected to Reform UK after 33 years as a Conservative Party member.
The prominent Conservative figure was pictured with Reform leader Nigel Farage and chairman Zia Yusuf as the party announced his switch on social media.
The move marks another significant departure from the Conservatives, coming just days after MP Andrea Jenkyns quit the party.
Montgomerie, who also co-founded the Centre for Social Justice, has revealed his decision was triggered by last week’s record immigration figures.
Tim Montgomerie spoke on GB News
X / GB NEWS
“It’s been coming for a long time”, Montgomerie told GB News, explaining his decision to leave the Conservative Party.
“The final straw for me, really, was last Thursday’s immigration numbers. How many times have you been sat with a Tory over the last few years and they said they were controlling immigration?” he said.
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Tim Montgomerie joined Miriam Cates and Bev Turner
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He expressed sadness about leaving behind relationships built over decades of party membership.
“When you’re part of a political party as long as I was, 36 years, it makes me feel old,” he reflected.
Montgomerie revealed there had been several moments when his “pen hovered over the decision to defect” before finally making the move.
The immigration figures that prompted Montgomerie’s departure revealed net migration hit a record high of 906,000 in the year to June 2023.
This figure was revised upwards by 166,000 from initial estimates, according to the Office for National Statistics.
While the latest data shows net migration fell to 728,000 in the year to June 2024, this remains historically high.
The statistics showed that non-EU nationals accounted for 86 per cent of total immigration, with India, Nigeria, Pakistan, China and Zimbabwe being the top five source countries.
The dramatic rise occurred after Brexit, with numbers from outside the EU exploding since 2021.
Montgomerie’s departure follows earlier signs of his disillusionment with the Conservative Party.
In June, he had indicated he would have supported Reform UK candidates in constituencies such as Clacton or Boston and Skegness.
At that time, he spoke about building a “unite-the-right movement” after the election.
His switch to Reform UK represents the latest challenge to the Conservative Party’s right flank.
The move comes as Reform UK continues to attract prominent Conservative figures, with former MP Andrea Jenkyns also recently leaving the party.
