Former Tory cabinet minister Jones joins Reform UK

Former Conservative cabinet minister and MP David Jones has joined Reform UK.

Jones, who stepped down as a Conservative MP ahead of last year's election, said he had become "disillusioned" by his old party and that only Reform was "demonstrating the determination needed to tackle the country's many problems".

The former Welsh Secretary added that he would not seek elected office for Reform but would "give the party my full support in the elections ahead".

He becomes the third former Tory MP to join Nigel Farage's party in the last two weeks, following Ross Thomson and Anne Marie Morris.

The Conservative Party has been approached for comment.

Jones was a Conservative Party member for more than 50 years and represented the Clwyd West constituency from 2005 until 2024.

He served as Secretary of State for Wales from 2012-14 under David Cameron and was a Brexit minister from 2016-2017 under Theresa May.

In his statement released via Reform, Jones said: "I joined the Conservatives all those years ago because I believed it was the party that best reflected my values and beliefs. Regrettably, that is no longer the case.

"Today, Reform UK is the party that best represents my views - and, I believe, those of many others who have become disillusioned with the two old major parties.

"Across the country, people are rightly concerned about the rising cost of living, the escalating crisis of illegal immigration, and the steady erosion of our national sovereignty.

"Neither the government nor the official opposition is addressing these issues with the urgency or resolve they demand - indeed, the government is actively surrendering our sovereignty at an alarming rate.

"Only Reform UK is demonstrating the determination needed to tackle the country's many problems and to improve the lives of people across Britain."