Sir Jake, once a prominent figure in the Conservative Party and former Chair during Liz Truss’s brief premiership, said he no longer believed the Conservatives could deliver the change Britain needs. He accused his former party of “failing the country” and called for a complete overhaul of politics.
The former MP lost his seat in the 2024 General Election to Labour’s Andy MacNae, following a national swing to Labour under Keir Starmer. Sir Jake had represented Rossendale and Darwen since 2010, holding several ministerial positions and serving in Cabinet roles under Boris Johnson and Liz Truss.
Speaking about his defection, Sir Jake said:
“Britain is broken. I sat at that Cabinet table and I know who broke it. Old Westminster politics has failed. The only way we get a country to be proud of again is with Reform in government.”
His departure from the Conservatives follows growing local support for Reform, including recent successes at Lancashire County Council, where former Ribble Valley Conservative leader Stephen Atkinson also joined Farage’s party and now leads the authority.
Local Conservatives Hit Back
Reacting to the news, Scott Smith, Chair of Rossendale and Darwen Conservatives, said the announcement came as “disappointing but not surprising.”
He criticised Sir Jake’s recent record, saying:
“His decision to abandon the party that gave him his platform, indeed his career, will be seen by many as a betrayal – not just of Conservative members, but of the voters who returned him under a Conservative banner.”
Smith claimed Berry had struggled politically since the collapse of Liz Truss’s government, which he had backed.
A High-Profile Addition to Reform
Sir Jake is the latest high-profile figure to switch to Reform, joining other former Conservatives such as David Jones, Anne Marie Morris, and Ross Thomson. His defection follows what Reform has described as a surge in support, though the party has also seen internal tensions and lost MPs of its own in recent months.
In his statement, Sir Jake praised Nigel Farage as a leader who “sticks to his principles” and said he would now campaign full-time for Reform to form the next government.
Sir Jake said:
“For 30 years I supported the Conservative Party, for 14 years I was one of their MPs. But the old parties do not have what it takes to transform our country. That’s why I’ve decided to join the Reform Party.”
What Happens Next in Rossendale and Darwen?
Sir Jake’s defection does not affect the current MP for Rossendale and Darwen, Labour’s Andy MacNae, who won the seat by a majority of over 6,000 in 2024. However, it could shape future elections, with Reform increasingly positioning itself as a challenger in former Conservative heartlands.
Since leaving Parliament, Sir Jake has worked as a broadcaster for Talk TV, where he had also presented during his time as an MP.
Reform UK now claims to be the only party capable of challenging the political establishment, with further defections from the Conservatives rumoured.
