We've updated our Privacy and Cookies Policy
We've made some important changes to our Privacy and Cookies Policy and we want you to know what this means for you and your data.
Second candidate defects from Reform UK to Tories
- Author, Henry Zeffman
- Role, Chief political correspondent
Top Stories
A Reform UK candidate has suspended her campaign and defected to the Conservatives because the 鈥渧ast majority鈥 of her fellow candidates are 鈥渞acist, misogynistic and bigoted鈥.
Georgie David, the Reform candidate for West Ham and Beckton, said she had been 鈥渇rustrated and dismayed鈥 by party leader Nigel Farage鈥檚 failure to tackle issues with candidates.
Ms David said she did not believe Reform鈥檚 鈥渟enior leadership鈥 are racist.
Reform UK chairman Richard Tice accused the Conservatives of offering Ms David 鈥渏obs and safe seats鈥 to defect.
Writing on social media, Mr Tice said: 鈥淢ore desperate corruption by Tories.
Top Stories
鈥淣ote same press release language鈥 coordinated by dirty tricks central, [Conservative Campaign Headquarters]鈥.
Top Stories
Ms David becomes the second Reform Uk candidate to defect to the Conservatives in two days, following Liam Booth-Isherwood, Reform鈥檚 candidate in Erewash.
In a statement she said: 鈥淚 am hereby announcing my decision to leave the Reform Party and stand down as their candidate for West Ham and Beckton, with immediate effect.
鈥淚 am in no doubt that the party and its senior leadership are not racist. However, as the vast majority of candidates are indeed racist, misogynistic, and bigoted, I do not wish to be directly associated with people who hold such views that are so vastly opposing to my own and what I stand for.
鈥淚 also have been significantly frustrated and dismayed by the failure of the Reform Party鈥檚 leadership to tackle this issue in any meaningful way, and their attempts to instead try to brush it under the carpet or cry foul play."
Although Ms David is suspending his campaign it is legally too late to change her as candidate and will still appear for Reform on the ballot paper.
Mr Booth-Isherwood also defected to the Tories on Sunday, citing "reports of widespread racism and sexism" among Reform candidates as the reason for leaving and said it was a "significant moral issue" in parts of Mr Farage's party.
A Reform UK party spokesman said: "We are very disappointed with Ms David鈥檚 course of action.
鈥淲e strongly disagree with her sweeping comments about the 鈥榲ast majority鈥 of our 600-plus candidates, the vast majority of whom she can never even have met.
鈥淎nd we find it sad and strange that she chose not to bring up any of her concerns with the party leadership before publicly trashing so many of her blameless colleagues who are giving their all to get Reform UK elected.
鈥淢s David was a last-minute addition to our candidate list and we apologise to the voters of West Ham and Beckton for any inconvenience.鈥
You can find a complete list of the candidates for West Ham and Beckton and Erewash on the 成人快手 website.
Top Stories
More to explore
Most read
Content is not available