Romford MP Says Its Time Tories And Reform Unite To Defeat Labour.

The Member of Parliament for Romford, says it is “vital” right-wing parties, namely the Tories and Reform, unite to defeat Labour in the next general election, writes local democracy reporter Sebastian Mann.

Andrew Rosindell said right-of-centre parties need to “find a way of working together and cooperating” to have the “best possible chance of defeating a potential left-wing coalition” in 2029.

Alongside Labour, which came to power in July 2024 in a landslide election victory, British left-of-centre parties comprise of the Liberal Democrats, the Green Party, the Scottish National Party and Plaid Cymru (Party of Wales).

Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who now sits as an independent MP, is poised to launch a new left-wing party in the coming weeks, referred to now as Your Party.

Rosindell attended a Reform event in Hornchurch earlier this week, which commentator Russell Quirk called a “night of sensible political discourse”.

The MP said he had been invited as a guest of a speaker from the Institute of Economic Affairs and to meet Chagossians in his capacity as the shadow minister for the Chagos Islands, adding that he attends “all kinds of events in Havering all year round”.

He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “I think Conservatives and Reform supporters should be engaging with each other and unite against this left wing Labour government that is doing so much harm to our country.”

He added: “Our country is facing a calamity under this government and we have a patriotic duty to put country before party political considerations.

“After 25 years in the House of Commons, I am terrified to see the direction our country is heading and I know I speak for the people of Romford and Havering when I say this.”

The Romford MP is not the first Conservative to suggest a coalition with Reform, which is surging ahead in the polls.

Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen said there would “obviously be a conversation” if both parties won a significant number of seats, while former Home Secretary Suella Braverman said “there’s not enough room for two Conservative parties” and they needed to come together.

But despite their willingness, Reform has said the party has “no intention of forming coalitions or pacts with the Tories”, claiming they “broke Britain”.

Reform MP Lee Anderson said in July such a pact would “drag Reform down”.

In recent weeks, there have been some high-profile Tory defections to Reform, led by political firebrand Nigel Farage.

Last week, Danny Kruger became the first sitting Conservative MP to cross the floor, telling a press conference the Tories “were over”.

Former culture secretary Nadine Dorries left the party for Reform earlier this month, branding the Tories “dead”.

Upon her exit, she told the Daily Mail: “The Tory party is dead. Its members now need to think the unthinkable and look to the future.”

Rosindell told the LDRS he disagreed with her assessment but felt the Tories needed to act.

“The Conservatives are certainly not ‘dead,’” he said.

“However, after 14 years in power and five different prime ministers, ending in the worst defeat in our party’s history, there is no certainty that the party will bounce back easily and we cannot risk another five years of Labour after the next election.

“Therefore, Conservatives and Reform should be talking, finding common ground and doing everything possible to remove this dreadful left-wing, socialist government that is undermining our country and dragging Britain down.”

Rosindell is one of nine Conservative MPs in London, which is broadly held by Labour.

He was first elected to the Commons in 2001.

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