Tory-turned-Reform MP Danny Kruger rules out by-election after defection
Kruger says he will continue to represent his constituents and vote as before after joining Reform UK
Danny Kruger, who announced on Monday that he was defecting from the Conservative Party to Reform UK, said there will be no by-election in his Wiltshire constituency and that he will continue to represent his constituents as he did before the switch.
Kruger, elected as the MP for Devizes in 2019 and returned as MP for East Wiltshire in 2024, told BBC News he was "honoured" to be asked to help Reform "prepare for government" but rejected calls for an immediate poll. An online petition calling for a by-election has gathered more than 500 signatures since his defection was announced.
"There will not be one," Kruger said. He added he would "continue to be the MP that I was elected to be at the last election" and would "vote exactly the same way that I've voted since the Labour government came in." Kruger had previously indicated he would not trigger a by-election after changing party allegiance and reiterated that position in an interview with BBC Points West.
Explaining his move, Kruger said he had concluded the Conservative Party "is not getting into a position to be able to make it into government." He also expressed support for aspects of populist politics abroad, saying he "respects" what former US president Donald Trump and Ohio senator JD Vance are doing and that "I respect the populist impulse. I think it's right we see a populist rebellion." He added, however, that he personally found Mr. Trump "too confrontational and dividing."
Kruger is the second sitting MP to join Reform UK after Lee Anderson, who left the Conservatives and sat as an independent before joining Reform in 2024. Reform has increased its presence in the House of Commons to five MPs, following the election of two candidates under its banner at the 2024 general election. On Tuesday, former Conservative MP Maria Caulfield, who lost her seat at the last election, announced she was joining the party.
Kruger's constituency in East Wiltshire saw Reform finish fourth in the 2024 general election, underscoring the gap between party support at the ballot box and the parliamentary realignment prompted by recent defections. The decision to decline a by-election follows established practice that MPs who change party affiliation do not automatically trigger a fresh vote; a by-election would only occur if an MP resigned their seat.
The defection adds to a series of high-profile moves that have altered the composition of the Commons and fuelled debate about party loyalty, representation and the procedures surrounding mid-term changes of allegiance. Kruger said his priority was continuing to represent voters in his constituency and to work with Reform as it seeks to prepare for future elections.