Conservative MP for the Isle of Wight, Bob Seely, has revealed he has been approached to defect to the Reform Party.

Writing in the Sun on Sunday, he said: “I said no to Reform because I believe in loyalty.

"I believed in loyalty when I served in the British Army and I believe it when I serve my constituents on the Isle of Wight, and I believe in it when I am supporting Rishi Sunak.

“I don’t cut and run, and neither should we.”

A Reform spokesperson told the newspaper: “If he wants to turn down the only chance he has of saving his skin, well, that’s up to him.”

UPDATE: Isle of Wight Reform Party candidates ask Mr Seely to back up his claims

Rishi Sunak’s Tories could be reduced to fewer than 100 MPs at the general election, a new poll has suggested, reports PA news agency.

The 15,000-person poll was used to create a seat-by-seat breakdown, which indicated the Conservatives would be wiped out in Scotland and Wales and hold just 98 seats in England.

The survey put Labour on 45 per cent with a 19-point lead over the Tories on 26 per cent.

The constituency forecast suggested Sir Keir Starmer’s party could be on course for a landslide, winning 468 seats.

The poll suggests the Scottish National Party would pick up 41 seats, the Liberal Democrats 22 and Plaid Cymru two.

In 2019 the Conservatives had 365 seats, Labour 203, the SNP 48, the Lib Dems 11 and Plaid four.

In an analysis which will fuel Conservative unease about the threat from Reform UK, the survey suggested Richard Tice’s party will come second in seven seats and achieve an overall vote share of 8.5 per cent, just behind the Liberal Democrats on 10.4 per cent.

Bob Seely has been linked to former Brexit Party chair Richard Tice before. The pair were guests at the infamous lockdown barbecue in Seaview, where Mr Seely admitted to eating "half a sausage" despite lockdown rules barring get-togethers. 

  • The poll of 15,029 adults and MRP analysis by Survation was conducted between March 8-22.