London, United Kingdom. Former Home Secretary Suella Braverman joined Nigel Farage’s Reform UK on Monday, accusing the Conservative Party of lying to voters on immigration. Braverman made the remarks at a Reform UK rally alongside Farage.
Defection and political context
Farage’s party is ahead of Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour and Kemi Badenoch’s Conservatives in polls ahead of an election due in 2029, which could end the two-party system that has dominated Britain for more than a century.
Although Reform UK remains a small grouping in the House of Commons, Braverman’s move increases the party’s numbers to eight lawmakers, compared with more than 400 Labour lawmakers.
Braverman, who previously ran as a leadership candidate for the Conservative Party, follows Robert Jenrick, who announced his move earlier in January.
Braverman’s remarks at the rally
“Britain is indeed broken,” Braverman said, appearing visibly emotional. She said the country faced a choice between “managed decline” and fixing the country.
Braverman accused the Conservatives of lying about their pledge to leave the European Convention on Human Rights.
European Convention on Human Rights and immigration policy
Braverman, a former lawyer, served as interior minister for a year in Rishi Sunak’s government but was sacked after breaking with the party’s stance on the European Convention on Human Rights. She argued Britain should leave the convention to gain better control of immigration.
Reform UK has said it will leave the convention if it wins power in the next national election.
How do you think Braverman’s move will affect Reform UK’s position ahead of the 2029 election?
