Chris Kelly distressed by Ukip rumours and has denied them to closest family

Like all MPs suspected as potential Ukip defectors, Chris Kelly is being hounded by colleagues, whips and journalists all desperate to find out what he’s up to.

He and his family are distressed by the pressure that the MP is under and suspect that Ukip are putting his name about to create a smoke screen around the next defector.

Kelly has told his long-term girlfriend that he is not defecting. His girlfriend’s mother is Nadine Dorries, who says Kelly is so loyal to the government that she’s quite ‘disappointed’ he doesn’t take more principled stands against it. But she is confident he will not defect. Neither, in case you’re wondering, will Dorries.