Labour defection to Reform next week: Who could it be - as Rachel Reeves says Nigel Farage's promise should be taken 'with pinch of salt'

The Reform leader teased that a "high-profile" Labour figure would switch to his insurgent party next week following Robert Jenrick's move. But, the Chancellor insisted his defection comments should be taken "with a pinch of salt".

Asked whether she was worried or if it was her, she told ITV Tyne Tees: "Nigel Farage says a lot of things and I think we should all take those with a pinch of salt." Labour’s Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden also insisted he was "not worried".

He told Times Radio: "I'm not worried, and I don't know if that will happen but if it does, it's still a right-wing project. This is a project that parrots President Putin's line on foreign affairs, we've seen that most recently over Ukraine.

"It's a project that doesn't believe in the NHS. Nigel Farage himself has said that the model of the NHS is wrong. So whether it's on foreign affairs or domestic affairs, this is a right-wing project and we will stand firmly against it."

Who could defect to Reform?

Listed below are names of people who are being speculated on social media, and seem likely to make a move to Reform. It has not been confirmed if Farage’s promise is true, it is only speculative at the moment.

Baroness Kate Hoey: A former Labour MP for Vauxhall (1989–2019) and a prominent Brexiteer who has long been critical of the EU and aligned with some of Farage's views. She left the Labour Party in 2020 and has been non-affiliated since, but has maintained ties with Reform, including campaigning for them recently in Wellingborough

Labour MP Rosie Duffield: Due to her gender-critical stance potentially clashing with Labour leadership.

Gisela Stuart: Former Labour MP for Birmingham Edgbaston, 1997–2017. Veteran Brexiteer who chaired the Vote Leave campaign. She's no longer in Parliament but aligns with Reform's anti-EU and immigration stance.