Suella Braverman has resigned from the Conservative Party and joined Reform UK, unveiled on 26 January at a London event launching a veterans group. On stage, she said she had left after 30 years and would sit as a Reform MP for Fareham and Waterlooville, adding: 'I feel like I've come home', according to ITV News and Sky News. (itv.com)
Her switch is the third Conservative defection to Reform in 11 days, after Robert Jenrick on 15 January and Andrew Rosindell on 18 January. Reform now counts eight MPs in the House of Commons; the Conservatives remain the official opposition with 116 seats, AP reported. (news.sky.com) Beyond sitting MPs, former Tory figures including Nadhim Zahawi (12 January 2026), Nadine Dorries (September 2025) and former party chair Jake Berry (July 2025) have aligned with Reform since the 2024 election, according to ITV News, ITV and the Guardian. (itv.com)
Braverman served as attorney general under Boris Johnson and as home secretary under Liz Truss in September 2022. She resigned on 19 October 2022 after sending an official document from a personal email, was reappointed by Rishi Sunak six days later, and was dismissed in November 2023 following an unauthorised article critical of the Metropolitan Police. (theguardian.com)
At the veterans event, Nigel Farage said he had been in discussion with Braverman for over a year and argued past home secretaries were 'useless' because the ECHR constrained deportations. The event also served to launch Veterans for Reform. (thetimes.com)
Braverman told supporters the Conservatives’ promise to leave the ECHR was 'a lie', alleging the party would never take the UK out. The Labour government has instead asked European partners to update how the convention is applied in law, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Deputy PM David Lammy calling for 'modernisation' rather than exit at a Strasbourg meeting in December 2025. (theguardian.com)
Downing Street says leaving the ECHR is off the table, arguing it underpins security, migration cooperation and the Good Friday Agreement; Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn has warned that withdrawal would be 'dangerously irresponsible' for the peace deal. By contrast, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has said a future Tory government would take the UK out of the convention. (standard.co.uk) A Conservative HQ draft briefing referencing Braverman’s mental health was circulated in error and later withdrawn, prompting criticism from charities and MPs, The Guardian reported. (theguardian.com)
Any withdrawal would require formal denunciation under Article 58 of the convention, taking effect six months after notification. Council of Europe guidance indicates obligations would continue for acts committed before the exit date and that only Council of Europe members can be parties to the ECHR. (rm.coe.int)
For operational policy, the Home Office continues to run removals within ECHR constraints. Recent statements of changes to the Immigration Rules reiterate that deportations must not breach the UK’s convention duties, using 'restricted leave' where removal is not currently possible. (gov.uk)
Procedurally, defection does not force a by‑election. MPs are elected as individuals and may change party; unless they resign or are subject to recall under set triggers, they continue to serve their constituencies under their new label. (commonslibrary.parliament.uk)
Braverman’s move gives Reform eight MPs and sharper visibility on migration and rights. The dividing line is clear: Reform argues for leaving the ECHR, the Conservatives pledge exit in principle, and the Labour government is seeking interpretive changes within the treaty. Those tracks will shape near‑term debates on removals, policing powers and veterans’ issues. (apnews.com)