The Scotsman Cartoon: Tories defecting to Ukip
MP Mark Reckless announced his defection from the Conservatives to Ukip after claiming the Tory leadership was “part of the problem that is holding our country back”.
The MP for Rochester and Strood, who is the second Tory backbencher to join Ukip in a month, made his announcement to cheering crowds at the Eurosceptic party’s annual conference in Doncaster.
“Today I am leaving the Conservative party and joining Ukip,” he said. Reckless said he had not taken the decision lightly but added he believed that voters felt “ripped off and lied to” by the Conservatives.