A Reform candidate has defected to the Conservative Party, saying the "vast majority" of her fellow candidates are "racist, misogynistic and bigoted".
This comes just two days after Liam Booth-Isherwood, who is standing as a candidate in Erewash, defected from Reform to the Tories.
Announcing her decision to suspend her campaign as the Reform candidate for West Ham and Beckton, and her endorsement of the Conservative Party, Georgie David said: "I am hereby announcing my decision to leave the Reform Party and stand down as their candidate for West Ham and Beckton, with immediate effect.
"I am in no doubt that the party and its senior leadership are not racist. However, as the vast majority of candidates are indeed racist, misogynistic, and bigoted, I do not wish to be directly associated with people who hold such views that are so vastly opposing to my own and what I stand for.
A Reform candidate has defected to the Conservative Party, saying the "vast majority" of her fellow candidates are "racist, misogynistic and bigoted"
PA
"I also have been significantly frustrated and dismayed by the failure of the Reform Party’s leadership to tackle this issue in any meaningful way, and their attempts to instead try to brush it under the carpet or cry foul play.
"As such, I have now suspended my campaign with Reform, and I an endorsing the Conservative Party – I would encourage all of my fellow patriots to do the same."
A Conservative Party spokesman said: "For the second time this week, we have seen a Reform candidate declare that a vote for Reform is a vote for Labour and £2,094 extra taxes for every working household.
Georgie David said: "I am in no doubt that the party and its senior leadership are not racist."
PA
"Just 130,000 voters currently considering voting for Reform or the Liberal Democrats could change the course of this election, and Ms David knows this.
"With less than 48 hours till the polls open, be in no doubt - only a vote for the Conservatives can stop the dangers of an unaccountable Labour supermajority."
Booth-Isherwood yesterday announced plans to suspend his campaign and endorse the Tories, blaming the move on a “failure of leadership” over behaviour within Reform.
He said this has led him to become “increasingly disillusioned”. He yesterday said he would instead be endorsing the Tory contender Maggie Throup.
In a statement, he said: “I am today announcing my decision to leave the Reform Party and have suspended my campaign as the Reform candidate for Erewash with immediate effect.
“Over the past few weeks, I have been increasingly disillusioned with the behaviour and conduct of Reform.
“Whilst I have campaigned alongside many decent, honest and hardworking people during the course of the General Election campaign in Erewash, the reports of widespread racism and sexism in Reform have made clear that there is a significant moral issue within certain elements of the party, and the failure of the party’s leadership to not only take this matter seriously, but also to fundamentally address it, has made clear to me that this is no longer a party I want to be associated with.”
“As a result, I am announcing my endorsement of the Conservative Party candidate, Maggie Throup, for Erewash. Only she can stop Labour.”
A Reform UK party spokesman said: “We are very disappointed with Ms David’s course of action.
“We strongly disagree with her sweeping comments about the ‘vast majority’ of our 600-plus candidates, the vast majority of whom she can never even have met.
“And we find it sad and strange that she chose not to bring up any of her concerns with the party leadership before publicly trashing so many of her blameless colleagues who are giving their all to get Reform UK elected.
“Ms David was a last minute addition to our candidate list and we apologise to the voters of West Ham and Beckton for any inconvenience.”
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