Jacob Rees‑Mogg said on Saturday that his teenage daughter, Mary, has joined Reform UK, but the former Conservative cabinet minister told attendees at a fringe event that he would not be defecting to Nigel Farage’s party.
Rees‑Mogg, who was photographed being mobbed for selfies by Reform members at the party’s conference in Birmingham, acknowledged he had been urged to abandon the Conservatives but said he would "remain a Tory." He told the audience he was "having his arm twisted" by his daughter and added, "Mary has joined Reform… but I'm not going to."
The former business secretary and prominent ex‑Tory minister said the wider right needed to unite under Britain’s first‑past‑the‑post electoral system. "I'm going to remain a Tory because I think it is fundamental that we bring the family of the Right together," he said at the event on Saturday, addressing speculation in recent days that he might be on "defection watch."
Rees‑Mogg, a figurehead of the Conservative right during his time in government, was among several politicians who visited the Reform conference in Birmingham, where supporters pressed him to switch allegiance to Farage’s party. He said he was "embarrassed" to reveal his daughter's membership but reiterated his loyalty to the Conservative Party.
The appearance came amid heightened attention on the fragmentation of the British right and ongoing efforts by Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage, to attract Conservative voters and elected figures. Rees‑Mogg’s refusal to join Reform will be noted inside both parties as leaders assess the political landscape ahead of future local and national contests.
Rees‑Mogg is a father of six; at the event he named his children as Peter, Thomas, Mary, Anselm, Alfred and Sixtus. He has remained an outspoken commentator since leaving the government, and his movements and remarks continue to draw attention from members of the Conservative base and rival parties.
The disclosure about his daughter’s membership and his own public interaction with Reform supporters provide a snapshot of the cross‑current among centre‑right and right‑wing voters. Rees‑Mogg’s comments on unity under first‑past‑the‑post reflect a long‑running concern among critics of vote splitting that multiple parties on the right could weaken their electoral position under Britain’s electoral system.
He did not set out any immediate plans for political activity beyond the remarks at the conference and declined to signal any formal change of party membership. Reform UK continues to host events aimed at building momentum, while the Conservative Party faces internal debate over strategy and voter outreach in the months ahead.