Kettering MP favourite to defect to UKIP

Image: BBC. Available here.

KETTERING MP Phillip Hollobone has been tipped as the next Conservative MP to defect to UKIP.

Hollobone, who is close friends with Tory defector Mark Reckless, is the favourite to jump ship to Nigel Farage's party.

50-year-old Hollobone introduced Reckless into the House of Commons after his election victory in Rochester and Strood as a UKIP MP.

The current Conservative MP for Kettering has previously denied planning to defect to the right-wing eurosceptic party.

Hollobone increased the speculation of his defection, by voting against the Government in favour of Labour's private member's Bill on the NHS.

Hollobone, who will have been Kettering's MP for ten years come May, attended Dulwich College at the same time as UKIP leader Farage did.

When asked about defecting MP's in the recent by-election in Rochester, Farage admitted that more defections were 'unlikely' before Christmas.

Although he did reveal that he expected more MP's to join his party before the General Election in May.

By Stephen Matthews