Former Tory chairman defects to Reform in blow to Kemi Badenoch

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Sir Jake Berry, who was chairman of the Tories under Liz Truss and a staunch Boris Johnson ally has defected to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK

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Nigel Farage has landed a major scalp as he seeks to revive the momentum in his flagging Reform UK party with the defection of a former Tory chair.

Sir Jake Berry, who chaired the party during Liz Truss’s 49-day premiership and had been a staunch ally of Boris Johnson, has announced in an interview with The Sun that he has joined Reform.