Could Reform shock politics with a high-profile Tory defector?
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Boris Johnson appears on wishlist of disaffected Tories sought by Reform UK. Wishful thinking, writes David Maddox, but it underlines the scale of ambition for a party that wants to win a general election in 2029. It has been more than a century since an established political party was successfully overtaken by an insurgent newcomer, when the Liberals gave way to Labour.
![[Boris Johnson with Donald Trump (Steve Parsons/PA)]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/11/08/20/bb1a9f60ce07dc4247826258c84e689cY29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzMxMTgyMTQ1-2.48785541.jpg)
But the rise of Reform UK as a political force – even with only five MPs despite its 15 per cent of the vote share – to pose a threat to the Conservatives is underscored by the row between Nigel Farage and Kemi Badenoch over who has most members. Nevertheless, if Reform is to finish the job it will need more than a website counter boasting of its supporters; it will need defections on all sorts of levels, from ordinary voters (22 per cent of Tories from July’s election say they will now vote Reform) to councillors, donors, and MPs.
![[Former home secretary Suella Braverman (Justin Tallis/PA)]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/12/16/19/ee1ae5c444586a24ae821716238c55b2Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzM0NDYwNjEz-2.74000775.jpg)
Reform has already wooed Tories including businessman Zia Yussuf as party chair; billionaire Nick Candy as treasurer, ex-MPs Andrea Jenkyns and Aidan Burley; and ConHome founder Tim Montgomerie. But it needs more high-profile names. Senior figures claim many more former and even current Tory MPs are preparing to join, but so far the really big fish have yet to bite.
![[Robert Jenrick was once seen as a centist in the Tory party (Lucy North/PA)]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/11/15/00/100924cd899b89cc03e296cf7b5f2e20Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzMxNjkxMTAy-2.78028416.jpg)
Part of the problem could be that senior figures in Reform have very different ideas on who best to attract. But if 2025 is to be the year that propels them to towards bigger wins, then some of the names on their various wishlists (depending on who you talk to in the party) need to come over. Here are a handful of figures being targeted:.
![[Mark Francois’s enthusiasm for Brexit aligns with Reform]](https://static.independent.co.uk/s3fs-public/thumbnails/image/2019/02/01/15/mark-francois.jpg)
