Will migration critic Tory peer be the next to join Reform? Lord Jackson blasts 'woeful record on immigration'
A Tory peer has left the door open to defecting to Reform UK over the previous government's 'woeful' record on immigration.
Lord Jackson of Peterborough also accused his party of failing to set out a 'compelling' vision for the country based on Conservative principles.
His comments came as leaked messages revealed that Tory MPs are bemoaning 'silly' adverts from the party about perks for asylum seekers.
Reform is currently beating Labour and the Conservatives in the polls – and half a dozen former Tory MPs have defected to Nigel Farage's party since the election.
Lord Jackson, a former Tory MP and Brexit department adviser who was given a peerage by Boris Johnson, told the Telegraph: 'At the moment, I retain the Conservative whip and support the party in the Lords in actively holding this terrible Labour Government to account in scrutinising its many sub-standard and damaging bills.
'However, like many, I don't believe the Conservative Party has adequately addressed its own abysmal final period in office, especially its woeful record on immigration, nor set out yet a compelling and attractive alternative prospectus based on enduring Conservative principles.
'I don't have any plans to leave my party after 42 years but I would also neither rule out joining Reform nor voting for [them].'
He added that 'an electoral arrangement is most likely as the imperative is to remove this damaging Labour Government'.
A Tory peer has left the door open to defecting to Reform UK over the previous government's 'woeful' record on immigration. Lord Jackson of Peterborough (pictured) also accused his party of failing to set out a 'compelling' vision for the country based on Conservative principles
Lord Jackson, a former Tory MP and Brexit department adviser who was given a peerage by Boris Johnson, said: 'I don't believe the Conservative Party has adequately addressed its own abysmal final period in office, especially its woeful record on immigration'. Pictured: File photo
Discussing an online advert listing perks available to asylum seekers, Broxbourne MP Lewis Cocking (pictured last month) wrote in a group chat: 'This makes us look silly as we gave them all this too, which is why we are in the mess we are in today'
It came as the website Conservative Home published private WhatsApp messages from Tory MPs criticising party adverts on migrant hotels given their party's record on the issue when in power.
Discussing an online advert listing perks available to asylum seekers, Broxbourne MP Lewis Cocking wrote in a group chat: 'This makes us look silly as we gave them all this too, which is why we are in the mess we are in today.'
Party chairman Kevin Hollinrake replied: 'Agreed.' Ben Obese-Jecty, MP for Huntingdon, shared a critical response by Mr Farage to the advert, adding: 'As predicted.'
Mr Cocking continued: 'Well I did say and no one seems to listen. I have an asylum hotel and the community is ripping itself apart.
'We did this and we must come up with a policy that solves it.'
The Tories declined to comment on Lord Jackson's remarks.
