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Andrew Rosindell insisted Nigel Farage has the same “bulldog spirit” as Maragret Thatcher after being welcomed to Reform UK. Mr Rosindell became the second Conservative MP to jump ship in the space of a week after Robert Jenrick defected last Thursday. He said he was persuaded to resign as a shadow foreign office minister in Kemi Badenoch’s front bench because of the “failure” of the Conservative Party “on the issue of Chagossian self-determination”.

Speaking to the Daily Express Mr Rosindell also took a swipe at his former boss, saying his decision to leave was made easier by Mrs Badenoch “throwing Rob under the bus” after she uncovered his plot to defect to Reform. He added that her remarks – describing the two MPs departures as “spring cleaning” – showed an “ugly side”.

Mr Rosindell, who has been a Conservative MP for Romford since 2001 and a party member for 45 years, said: “What really did it was sitting in the chamber and hearing that Robert Jenrick had been expelled from the Conservative Party, I was devastated.

“Kemi should have had him in, personally spoken to him, if she’d found that document. Surely Robert was worth saving.

“So if he isn’t worth saving, and he’s going to be thrown under a bus, I’m thinking someone like me could easily be thrown under a bus too.”

Expressing bitterness towards remarks about his departure, he added: “I think that what they show is a side which I think is quite ugly.

“If I was her, I’d be sorrowful for losing two of her hardest working and strongest Conservative MPs”.

Mr Rosindell joked that his political views meant that he was “Reform before there was Reform”.

And he said that he only really made his mind up to defect after speaking on the phone to Mr Farage on Saturday and Sunday.

The lifelong admirer of Mrs Thatcher said he believed Mr Farage has similar traits to the former Conservative Prime Minister.

“He has the Bulldog spirit like she did. She would never weaken against any attack on Britain or British interests. So I think he has the makings of being a truly great Prime Minister.

And I think if Margaret Thatcher was here today, she’d be admiring him for what he’s saying and doing and she’d certainly agree with his politics, because his political views are very close to everything she stood up for.”

A Conservative Party source said: “Andrew is clearly deluded. Jenrick admitted that he decided to defect to Reform months ago.

“Nothing is as nasty as still sitting in meetings and pretending to be part of the team when you’re planning to stab colleagues in the back.

“Similarly, we all know Andrew had his difficulties, it is not nasty to point that out.”

“What is nasty is creating confected rows about not singing the national anthem, or lying about the constant and vocal Conservative opposition to the Chagos surrender because you are also plotting to defect to Reform.

“Kemi has moved swiftly after the Conservatives’ worst ever election defeat to set out a series of clear, principled policies on scrapping Net Zero 2050, leaving the ECHR, and slashing the welfare bill. By contrast, Reform are a one-man band with nothing to say about the future of Britain.”

“Reform are a one-man band with nothing to say about the future of Britain.”