Richard Tice teases new defection to Reform with bombshell BBC statement

Reform has hinted that another defection is coming after Robert Jenrick joined this week.

Richard Tice smiles on the BBC

Richard Tice appeared on the BBC this morning (Image: BBC)

Nigel Farage’s deputy has dropped a massive hint over the possible defection of an ex-Labour politician to Reform UK. Speaking during an interview on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg,

Host Ms Kuenssberg said: “People with eagle eyes may have noticed the former Labour MP Kate Hoey being very nice about Nigel Farage online last night. Is she on her way to you?

Mr Tice said: “Kate’s a wonderful person. She’s been a good friend of mine personally for many, many years.” Ms Kuenssberg pressured Reform’s deputy leader, asking him: “So is she coming to join you?” Mr Tice replied simply: “Patience is a virtue, Laura.”

Baroness Hoey served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Home Affairs from 1998 to 1999 and Minister for Sport from 1999 to 2001.

Kate Hoey speaks on stage at rally

Kate Hoey is a passionate Eurosceptic who campaigned for Brexit (Image: Getty)

She was a member of the Labour Party for several decades while MP for Vauxhall from 1989 to 2019.

The Eurosceptic resigned from the party in 2020, and has since suggested to GB News that she did so because Sir Keir Starmer “took the Labour Party to a position, under Jeremy Corbyn, where they were reneging on the manifesto promises, that they would implement whatever people voted for.”

Hoey was one of four names mentioned by Sam Lister, deputy editor of The Express, that could join Reform after Robert Jenrick joined Mr Farage’s outfit in the week.

Sam said Tory MPs Gareth Bacon and John Hayes would both be on defection watch, as well as Kate Hoey and another life peer, Gisela Stuart.

A former Labour member, the British-German politician served as Member of Parliament for Birmingham Edgbaston from 1997 to 2017.

Gareth Bacon, though, has since said there is “zero chance” of him defecting to Reform.

She said: “In that whole time I was over in Westminster, I’ve never seen anything like this.

“For a party leader to sack a member of their top team, but to do it publicly, to do it by video, to put it out by Twitter … I’ve never seen anything like that.”