𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Nigel Farage and Reform UK have suffered a huge blow after a former MP rumoured to be considering moving to the party announced he’ll stand for the Conservative Party instead.

Jacob Rees-Mogg, a GB News presenter and veteran Brexiteer, told the channel he had applied to be a candidate under Kemi Badenoch in the next election.

He has previously served in Parliament as Member for North East Somerset from 2010 to 2024 before losing his seat to Labour’s Dan Norris.

The 57-year-old former MP has long been rumoured to be considering moving to Reform UK – something he has always denied.

Yet his confirmation that he has put his hat in the ring to be a Tory candidate once again will be seen as a blow to Reform UK.

Mr Rees-Mogg was an influential player in the Brexit campaign and served as Chairman of the eurosceptic European Research Group (ERG) from 2018 to 2019.

A member of the Cornerstone Group, a traditionalist pressure group within the party when he was serving as an MP, he was one of the Tories most rebellious members.

Once, he even proposed a deal be struck between the Tories and the UK Independence Party (UKIP), to block remainer MPs.

Since losing his seat in the West Country he has worked as a presenter on the TV channel GB News where he hosts his own show.

Mr Rees-Mogg told presenters “Well I sent in my application to go back on the list this week, so we will see where I get perched later.”

His announcement followed news that former Tory Minister Grant Shapps had been told he was not allowed to stand again.

In what fast became known as a “purge” of the wets, Shapps declined to provide a comment.

However a source within the party told The Spectator that “No doubt some who have failed the process will pop up in Reform to great fanfare when Nigel gets desperate for attention once he’s finished arguing with a bin.”

A friend of the former MP said “It’s surprising to see someone who was party chairman who actually won a general election being prevented from standing by the party.”