New Tory Defection Shows Sunak Losing Grip on Johnson Coalition.

SUNAK, Rishi, 1980-; FARAGE, Nigel, 1964-

The Conservative mayoral candidate for Greater Manchester, Dan Barker, has defected to the Reform UK party, indicating a loss of support for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in key areas for the Tories. Barker, who was also the head of a local Conservative committee, announced his decision to join the right-leaning Reform group, calling it "the new home of conservatism." This defection, along with a recent poll showing Reform threatening to overtake the Conservatives as the country's second-most-popular party, highlights the urgency for the ruling party to improve its political fortunes ahead of upcoming local and general elections. Sunak has faced challenges in maintaining party unity and avoiding political disaster. The Conservatives now have 15 days to select a new candidate for the Greater Manchester post. [Extracted from the article]

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