Farage has the 'bulldog spirit' of Thatcher says latest Tory MP defector

NIGEL

- BY MARTYN BROWN Political Editor

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage and Andrew Rosindell yesterday

Farage has the same “bulldog spirit” as Margaret Thatcher, new Reform UK MP Andrew Rosindell has said.He became the second top Tory to jump ship in a week, after Robert Jenrick defected last Thursday.

Mr Rosindell said he was persuaded to resign as a shadow foreign office minister on Kemi Badenoch’s front bench because of the “failure” of the Conservative Party to hold Labour to account on its decision to hand the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.

He also took a swipe at his former boss, saying his decision to quit the party was made easier by Mrs Badenoch “throwing Rob under the bus” after she uncovered his plot to defect to Reform. And he added that her remarks — describing the two MPs’ departures as “spring cleaning” — showed an “ugly side”.