Kemi Badenoch has been issued a stark warning for the future of the Conservatives following a second high-profile Tory defection to Reform UK.

Speaking to GB News, political commentator Oscar Reddrop predicted the Tory leader is facing “tough times” ahead as the May elections loom closer.

Andrew Rosindell became the second Tory MP in a week to defect to Nigel Farage’s party, following the dramatic defection of Robert Jenrick.

Mr Rosindell said he had decided to resign “with sorrow” and leave the Conservative party, declaring “the time has come to put country before party”.

Reacting to the defection, Mr Reddrop told GB News: “This isn’t a surprise in the slightest. To be fair to someone like Andrew, he was kind of the Reform Party before it existed. So in that sense, no surprise at all.

“I think the momentum that the Conservatives will be nervous about though is, is that floodgate now opening since the Robert Jenrick defection?”

Analysing Tory leader Kemi Badenoch’s sacking of Mr Jenrick, he added: “What Kemi did do, and people got really caught up in Westminster about how she got ahead, but I think the next day people woke up and just saw Conservatives weaker, Reform stronger.

“I’m not going to be stupid enough to make any predictions here, but what it also did is I think it slightly kneecapped the conversations that I imagine Farage and Jenrick would have been having, which was ‘if you do come, can we line up 10 or 15 MPs to come with you?’ Rob, we want you, you’re great, but we can really eat that party from the inside if you can bring your loyalists along with you.

“It could have been weeks in advance – how she rushed the announcement forward, I think might put a bit of glue in the machine on that.”

Predicting what this can mean for the future of the Conservatives, Mr Reddrop told GB News: “We’ll see with Rosindell, if it begins and ends with Rosindell, then actually I think the Conservative Party and Kemi will feel solidified in many ways, and that loyalty that it is engendered within the party.

“However, if this is just a drip, drip, drip we’re going to see, then it’s really, really tough times for the Conservative Party.”

Highlighting that the defection by Mr Rosindell was most likely a decision “not taken lightly”, he said: “I imagine the decision from Rosindell was something that he did not take lightly.

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“He’s been a Tory MP since 2001, the Conservative Party is in his blood and there will be others like him.”

Offering praise of Mrs Badenoch, Mr Reddrop argued that the Tory leader has become the “fastest improving politician” since being elected.

He said: “What I would say is, and this applies to both Reform voters out there and Conservative voters in many ways, but particularly Conservative MPs right now, is there is a really, really ineffectual Government in charge of this country at the moment.

“It is lurching from pillar to post, from U-turn to diplomatic crises, domestic policy on the floor, and as a Conservative MP, you should absolutely stick behind Kemi right now. And I don’t care what anybody says and people might watch this and laugh, but I think Kemi is the fastest improving politician we have in this country.”

Hitting back at Mr Reddrop’s remarks, host Mark White quipped: “It’s quite a low bar to begin with, to be honest.”

Mr Reddrop responded: “That is fair, the bar is pretty low these days, but nonetheless her trajectory is heading, I think, in a very, very, very good place. And if you’re a Conservative MP, remember, you have a duty to hold this Government to account from Opposition.

“And I understand that the Reform movement is pretty special at the moment, it is ramping up. But remember your loyalty, it’s important in life.”

Pressed by host Ellie Costello on whether he believes the Tories will be replaced by Reform UK, he concluded: “Come the current rate, come back to me in a couple of weeks and I might feel a little bit more nervous about answering the question, but no, of course not.”