Suella Braverman’s defection from the Conservatives means Reform UK now has eight MPs.
Constituents of her Fareham and Waterlooville seat had a mixed reaction to the news, with many saying they were unsurprised, while others suggested it should mean there is a by-election.
But Braverman is not obliged to trigger a new vote.
When people vote at the polls in the UK they are voting for the individual to represent their area, not the party.
Braverman joins five sitting Conservative MPs who have defected to Reform, including Newark MP Robert Jenrick and East Wiltshire’s Danny Kruger.
