Former Reform UK Deputy Leader Ben Habib has explained he will not be defecting to the Tories, despite being demoted from his role in Reform
The party announced the parliamentary roles their MPs will be taking on last month after leader Nigel Farage claimed he was trying to "professionalise" the party.
Last week Habib tweeted that he will not be speaking at the conference in September, causing a stir online.
He penned: "I am 100 per cent committed to fighting for a proud, independent, sovereign and prosperous United Kingdom. That is the only thing which matters."
Ben Habib used to be the Deputy Leader of the party
GB News
Speaking on GB News, he said: "I don't have a role in Reform UK. I was the Deputy Leader of the party.
"Richard Tice and I spearheaded the party. We took it from 6 per cent in the polls to 16 per cent when Nigel came back as leader. We created it.
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"We spearheaded the movement that created the four million votes that we got in the last election.
"I'm sure there are many millions more who would have voted for us, but for the fact that they were scared of a Starmer Government and that narrative about splitting the vote.
"My obligation and what I feel is critical, that people like me and Richard who marched these people to the top of the hill don't let them down.
"They've been let down so many times before, in the vote for Brexit in the general election in 2019, when Boris promised he'd deliver Brexit and then deliver the terrible storm into which the country was delivered by him and his cabinet.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage wanted to "professionalise" the party
PA"The leadership and whether or not I'm in the leadership is academic.
"I will be fighting for the protection and promotion of the promises that we've made to those 4.1 million people who voted for us and the many millions more who will support us if we keep those promises. That's what my aim is."
GB News host Bev Turner then asked him if he has any intention of defecting to the Conservatives and he said he "will not be defecting".
Habib explained: "I will not be defecting to the Tories. I think the Tory leadership, by the way, is of critical importance to the country.
Ben Habib said he will not defect
"Even though I wanted to obliterate the Tories, even though there isn't a single Tory MP that isn't tainted by the failure of the last Government.
"We've got to get the right leader for them. They've got 124 MPs and my goodness, we don't want a one nation wet in charge of 124 MPs.
"We need someone close to Reform's values. That's what we need."
