Priti Patel says she wants to keep Suella Braverman amid Reform defection threat: ‘Let me be clear’

Priti Patel has said she does not want to lose Suella Braverman to Reform.

Speaking on GB News, the Tory leadership candidate made her feelings clear on the ex-home secretary who has been mooted for a possible defection to the Nigel Farage-led populist party.

The 52-year-old made it clear she would hope to keep the MP onboard after she distanced herself from the Tory leadership, despondently saying there is “no point in someone like me running to lead the Tory Party when most of the MPs disagree with my diagnosis and prescription” of what went wrong and how to fix it.

Asked about the possibility of a Braverman defection to Reform, Patel said: “I would not want to see that happen.

“Let me just be clear about that. I am standing in this leadership contest and this is a crucial moment for the party.

“I have a lot of experience in the party. I have been a member for 30 years and I absolutely believe that I am one of the strongest candidates to bring people together and unite people.

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“Having been a member for 30 years, I’ve been consistent in my views, my beliefs, my values.

“I am not a politician that’s had to go on a journey to rediscover myself or my views. People know what they get with me. Unity has to be at the crux, the centre of what we do.

“I say that to all colleagues, look at the result of the general election. The public voted against us, we were disunited, we failed to deliver. I want to see us come together and start to work to reform the party.

“That’s our party, our structures, the way we campaign, the way we engage. Even our grassroots, how we stand up and become the largest party.”

Reform stalwarts like Farage and Lee Anderson have opened the door to a possible Braverman defection, but the former insisted he won’t be prioritising the matter.

Another figure Patel may want to see on the Conservative benches in Parliament is Farage himself, who has been long linked with a return to the Tories.

Farage, who became an MP for the first time at this year’s General Election, has frequently shut down suggestions he may join the party.

But he holds a positive relationship with Patel, which she reflected on during the GB News discussion with Patrick Christys.

“I’ve known Nigel [Farage] for a long time. I can debate with him and discuss issues with him”, she said.

“Let’s not forget, the Conservatives lost the General Election. With that, Reform, a party that stood against Conservative candidates at the General Election, were a part of us losing it.

“We lost amazing, decent public servants at this General Election, which is a shame.

“I believe that Reform is a party we will challenge and oppose. There might be times in Parliamentary debate where they seek to side with us, I don’t know.”