After calling a sudden press conference for 11:30AM this morning, Nigel Farage has announced that former Tory MP Dame Andrea Jenkyns has defected to Reform UK and will stand for Mayor of Greater Lincolnshire.

During the press conference, Nigel also confirmed that membership of the party has reached 100,000, up from 12,000 a year ago.

The defection of the former Tory MP could result in others within the Conservative party to think twice about being so committed to a party that is far removed from its original conservative values. As Nigel Farage said, "half of them should join Reform. The other half should join the Lib Dems."