I was in the room when Nigel Farage announced new defection - big question remains

Nigel Farage used a rally for veterans today to unveil one of Reform UK's biggest defections yet. The Reform leader, joined by all his MPs, gathered hundreds of ex-servicemen and women at a prestigious event venue in the heart of London to announce his party's new Veterans for Reform group and pledge to end witch hunts of former soldiers if he enters 10 Downing Street.

But he also revealed that former Tory home secretary Suella Braverman was switching to his insurgent party. While there has long been speculation that Mrs Braverman would be next to jump ship, the move came as a major surprise at this morning's press conference.

Mr Farage welcomed the former Conservative Cabinet minister to the stage, which had a backdrop of Union flags, to huge applause from the audience.

Mrs Braverman, who has been one of the bookies' favourites to defect from Kemi Badenoch's party, confirmed she had resigned her Tory Party membership of 30 years and added: "I feel like I've come home."

In a passionate speech, the Fareham and Waterlooville MP warned that Britain "is indeed broken".

The former Home Secretary said she was "sacked" for calling for the UK to leave the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).

In an attack on her former party, she branded the Tories' promise to quit the ECHR "a lie".

She also praised Mr Farage, who she described as the "only one man in British politics who has been courageously consistent for his country".

Mrs Braverman follows a series of other Tory high-profile defections including ex-immigration minister Robert Jenrick earlier this month.

And there could still be more to come as Mr Farage's deadline of the May elections looms. The big question now is how many defections are still to come.