James Heale

After three defections in ten days, what exactly can Kemi Badenoch do to get back on the front foot? This morning, we got our answer. The Tory leader sought to use her big press conference to laugh off the loss of Messers Jenrick, Rosindell and Braverman, in a 20-minute speech which blended levity with gravity. With her back against the wall, Badenoch tried to come out fighting and address the defections head-on. She dismissed those quitting and sought to pivot the conversation to more favourable terrain. In the circumstances, it was probably her only strategy – and she played it as well as she could. The question of how to best stop Nigel Farage is one that has bedevilled Tory strategists for years.

Another one bites the dust. Suella Braverman this morning was unveiled as the latest defector to Reform UK. The former home secretary told 600 attendees at the launch of ‘Veterans for Reform’ that she finally felt she had ‘come home’ by switching parties. Beaming on stage, she declared passionately that, ‘I believe with my heart and soul that a better future is possible for us, I am joining Reform UK.

Andy Burnham has been blocked from standing in the Gorton and Denton by-election. The vote this morning by Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee (NEC) was not even close, with the ten-man panel voting eight to one against allowing him to stand. Lucy Powell, Labour’s deputy leader, was the only to vote for him; Shabana Mahmood, as chair, chose to abstain. The fact that she and other potential candidates for the Labour leadership like Ed Miliband have been so unwilling to criticise Burnham personally suggests that they think a contest is coming sooner, rather than later.

Andy Burnham has tonight confirmed that he wants to be a candidate in the forthcoming Gorton and Denton byelection. The Greater Manchester mayor submitted an application before the 5pm deadline. Ten officers on Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee (NEC) will tell Burnham by tomorrow what decision they reach. 'The Gorton and Denton by-election looks to be a fascinating contest, even if Burnham is blocked.' In his letter posted online, Burnham wrote that ‘this has been a difficult decision for me to make’ but that he wanted to stand as ‘there is now a direct threat to everything Great Manchester has always been about from a brand of politics which seeks to pit people against each other’.

Keir Starmer has tonight been forced to stall the Bill which would hand the Chagos Islands over to Mauritius. The legislation enabling the deal was expected to be debated in the Lords on Monday. But this evening, it was revealed that the votes have been delayed amid parliamentary ping-pong and a backlash from the Americans. Both the Conservatives and Reform UK are keen to take credit for the pause in the bill, under which Britain would give up the archipelago and lease back the Diego Garcia base. The Conservative case for credit is on the legislative front. Peers like Lord Hannan argue that the U-turn occurred only after the Tories had put out a rare three-line Whip for Monday, with ministers concluding that their Bill would fall.

To committee room 14, where many of the remaining 117 Tory MPs crammed in tonight to hear from their leader. Kemi Badenoch was welcomed with 25 seconds of prolonged banging from her colleagues, after a week in which, first Robert Jenrick, and then Andrew Rosindell chose to defect to Reform. Having addressed both the right-wing 92 Group and Common Sense Group on Monday, Badenoch sought to build on that speech and put recent controversies to bed. She told assembled MPs that, with regards to Jenrick, 'We lost someone not on ideology, but personal ambition' before suggesting that the real question ought to be 'What are we winning for?

Reform UK has gained its seventh MP after Andrew Rosindell switched sides on Sunday night. The longtime Member for Romford was unveiled after a rapid series of talks earlier today. In a statement Nigel Farage said that ‘Andrew is a great patriot. The Tories’ lies and hypocrisy over the Chagos Islands betrayal has tipped him over the edge, and we are delighted to welcome him to our ranks.’ Rosindell is a longtime champion of the British Overseas Territories, an ardent Brexiteer and – at the time of his defection– a serving member of Priti Patel's shadow foreign affairs team. Two factors are understood to be responsible for his defection. The first is the aforementioned Chagos deal, the handling of which by the Tory front bench had come to increasingly exasperate Rosindell.