Chris Mason: Another big beast defection shows momentum is with Reform

While anyone drawing up a list of potential Conservative defectors to Reform UK would have put Suella Braverman near the top, this is still a big moment.

Braverman is a former Conservative home secretary, a big beast of recent Tory history.

And her switch emphasises the momentum Reform are showing in draining the Conservative Party.

She is the fourth sitting Tory MP to join the party since the last election, and the third this month.

The week before last it was Robert Jenrick, a week ago it was Andrew Rosindell, now Braverman.

At just the point Kemi Badenoch has been attracting warmer reviews from her colleagues, another senior Conservative leaves the flock.

On stage at her defection, Braverman shared Reform's diagnosis that Britain in broken, a label the Conservatives have shied away from using and disagree with.

Like Jenrick before her, she offered a devastating critique on her former party's recent governing record.

Again, like Jenrick, a government of which she was a part.

She said she was "calling time on Tory betrayal and lies".

I was also struck how emotional she was.

I have known Braverman for more than 25 years – being a Conservative has always been part of her DNA.

But as of today, no longer. Not a capital C conservative anyway. It is a huge personal moment for her.

The question now for Nigel Farage is how he puts his growing team to good use and avoids fall outs.

The question now for Badenoch is who on earth might run away next? Can the tide be stemmed?

Some think there may be half a dozen or so more Conservative MPs who are weighing up making the leap themselves.

Meanwhile, for Labour, after all the questions for them over the weekend about the machinations involving the prime minister and Andy Burnham, a chance to reflect on rows on the Right of politics.

There is a controlling thought that unites both stories: the primacy of Farage in our national political conversation.

Labour is squabbling over whether Burnham was their best bet to beat Reform in the forthcoming by election in Gorton and Denton, and whether him deserting the Greater Manchester mayorality would open up that role to Reform.

Meanwhile, the Conservatives are considering, yet again, whether they face near oblivion.

For both of Westminster's political mega brands, so many roads lead back to the rise of Reform UK.

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