Andrew Rosindell has said Britain needs “radical change” and an end to Sir Keir Starmer’s “socialist Government”.

Speaking in his first sit-down interview since his defection to Reform, he told GB News he is “frightened” of where the country is heading.

Speaking out on his defection from the Conservatives, Mr Rosindell told GB News: “I am tired of the way this country is heading. I want this country to be rescued from this disastrous socialist Government.

“The only way that’s going to happen is if Nigel Farage is our next Prime Minister, that much is clear.”

Declaring the country needs “radical change” in politics, Mr Rosindell added: “It may be that the Conservatives and Reform in the end have to work together, but this country needs radical change.

“We need to reform this country because at the moment we’re heading in a spiral downwards. So I think this is the right time to make a stand and to show my constituents and the British people that we need to unite to rescue our country.”

Reflecting on almost 50 years as a Conservative, the Reform MP admitted it was a “hard” decision to make to leave.

He told GB News: “I’ve been an MP nearly 25 years and I’ve always been a committed Conservative and an admirer of Margaret Thatcher, so it is hard to leave the party.

“I’ve been a member of for 45 years, but I believe that our country is more important than any political party.

“Putting Britain first has got to be the objective of why we’re in politics, and so I think I look at the country today and I’m quite frightened about where we’re heading.”

He argued: “We need something radical. We can’t keep this seesaw in between Labour, Conservative and Labour and Conservative, and nothing much changing. We need something radical, something new to rescue Britain.”

Asked by Christopher what he believes his “political heroine” Margaret Thatcher would have made of his decision, Mr Rosindell responded: “I believe Margaret Thatcher always put this country’s interests first, and I think she would have analysed the way things are today and would realise that the right needs to come together.

“I don’t think that her priority was the party over the country, she would always put the country first, and that’s exactly what I’m going to do.”

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He continued: “I wouldn’t like to speak for Mrs Thatcher, but she was first and foremost a patriot, and I think she would have done whatever was necessary to put our country first. Winston Churchill wasn’t in the same party all the time.

“But if the Conservative Party hadn’t changed and gone into the mushy middle, as we saw in those 14 years, there wouldn’t be a Reform party.

“If Margaret Thatcher was here today, it would all be Conservative, but it hasn’t worked out like that. So I think we’ve got to be realistic and think about the best interests of the United Kingdom.”

Asked whether he is defecting to Reform now to “save his skin” in the upcoming elections, the Reform MP said: “No, I’ve won it against the trend every election. It should have gone Labour last time, I’ve got a much lower swing against me in Romford and other neighbouring seats, but who knows what would happen.

“I think I could win it as a Conservative, and I could certainly win it as Reform, but actually with me as the candidate, people voting Reform and people voting Conservative, they’re getting the same thing, so it’s uniting the right in Romford.”

Pressed on whether he would call a by-election in Romford, Mr Rosindell admitted: “So the cost of a by-election is really, frankly, unjustifiable.

“All MPs are elected as individuals, we’re not elected as a party, we’re elected as a person. So I don’t really see the need for a by-election.

“I think the most important thing is to organise ourselves ready to fight and win the general election, when the whole of the country can vote to get rid of this disastrous Labour Government.

“I’m about standing up for the right principles, it’s not about being someone, it’s about doing something for your country.

“So I will do whatever I need to do working with Nigel and Reform, but also working with my former colleagues in the Conservative Party. Let’s work together for the interests of our country.”