Ex-Tory digital guru joins Reform

Tom Scotson December 17, 2025 in Government and politics, News - 2 Minutes

The party that currently leads opinion polls has recruited the latest in a series of Conservative figures, with a notable tech expert set to stand in the upcoming local elections

A former senior member of the Conservative Party’s digital operation has defected to Reform UK.

Julian Teare was digital production manager in the Conservative Party Headquarters (CCHQ) for five years, responsible for the party’s digital assets, like its website and emails, according to his LinkedIn profile. He was also a councillor for the Tories in Barnet, north London, between 2018 and 2023.

Teare is now standing as a councillor for Nigel Farage’s party for Barnet Vale at the May local elections. In a campaign post on social media, Teare said he had “stood up robustly” for ordinary people’s concerns but believed circumstances in the borough had reached a “tipping point”.

He described 15 years’ worth of experience across political, public and non-profit sectors – without mentioning the Conservative Party by name.

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A Reform source told PublicTechnology sister publication PoliticsHome: “This is further evidence of what we all knew, the Conservative Party is dead. Will the last person leaving the Tories turn out the lights?”

Ben Bradley, the former Conservative MP for Mansfield, became the latest Tory politician to defect to Reform earlier this month. Bradley, who used to lead Nottinghamshire County Council, will front the Reform effort to reduce spending by the councils it controls, he said.

Danny Kruger, the MP for East Wiltshire, quit the Conservatives to join Reform in September. Former cabinet ministers Nadine Dorries and Jake Berry are also among the former Conservatives who have joined Farage’s party in recent months.

Reform continues to enjoy significant leads over both Labour and Tories in opinion polls, and is eyeing major gains in Wales, Scotland and councils in England in May.