It has been announced today that Anne Marie Morris has defected to Reform UK, as announced by @reformparty_uk on X, to lead the party’s social care policy formulation. She cited the country’s “desperate position” and Reform UK’s vision as reasons for her move, expressing a desire to contribute to their leadership.
Anne Marie Morris was a Conservative MP for Newton Abbot from 2010 to 2024.
Ms Morris was elected in 2010, and was re-elected in 2015, 2017, and 2019 with increasing majorities. Known for occasional rebellion, she voted against her party on issues like Syria military action in 2013, free school meals in 2020, and a VAT cut on energy bills in 2022.
Ms Morris lost the Conservative whip twice: in 2017 for using a racist phrase ("n-word in the woodpile") during a Brexit discussion, leading to a five-month suspension, and in 2022 for supporting the VAT cut, with the whip restored later that year.
Ms Morris lost her seat in the 2024 general election.
https://twitter.com/reformparty_uk/status/1940416439451607474
