Veteran MP says ‘time to put country before party’ citing Conservative position on Chagos Islands
The Conservative MP Andrew Rosindell has joined Reform UK, the party has announced.
Rosindell, the MP for Romford since 2001, said on X that he had joined the Conservative party at the age of 14, inspired by the principles advocated by Margaret Thatcher but that “the time has come to put country before party”.
“The failure of the Conservative party both when in government and more recently in opposition to actively hold the government to account on the issue of Chagossian self-determination and the defence of British sovereignty, represents a clear red line for me.
“Since entering parliament in 2001, I have consistently argued, both from the backbenches and the frontbench, that the right of self-determination of the Chagossian people is sacrosanct, and that they alone should decide the future sovereignty of the Chagos Islands.
