During the 2022 Tory conference, Jake Berry took the stage as the party’s chairman and delivered a speech that would be remembered for years to come. Unfortunately, it was not for the reasons he had hoped.
Fast forward to the present day, and Berry is once again making headlines after his recent defection from the Tories to Reform UK. In his first public appearance since the switch, Berry wasted no time in making his views known. He boldly declared that “Britain is broken” and placed much of the blame on the Tory government he once served in.
“If you literally wanted to design a system to destroy a country, you would struggle to do better,” Berry said. “And I know who broke it, because I was there.” These strong words were met with a mixture of shock and confusion. After all, it was an odd way for a politician to persuade voters to listen to what he has to say. If, by his own admission, he got so much wrong in the past, why should he be listened to this time?
One former Tory cabinet minister told HuffPost UK that Berry is known as “a serious person and a good communicator.” However, there is also plenty of evidence to suggest that Berry is never too far away from yet another embarrassing gaffe.
Let’s take a look at some of the times Berry has put his foot in it.
In January of 2025, Berry took to social media to amplify a bizarre conspiracy theory about the trial date of Axel Rudakubana, who brutally murdered three young girls attending a dance class in Southport. Coincidentally, it was the same day that Donald Trump was being inaugurated as US president in Washington.
“This is a calculated and cynical move by the Labour government to ‘bury bad news’ behind international headlines,” Berry declared. However, it did not take long for it to be made clear to Berry, who is a trained solicitor, that trial dates are set by the courts, not politicians. Despite this, the tweet is still up on his account.
But that’s not the only time Berry has gotten himself into hot water. During an appearance on ITV’s Peston program, he took issue with Private Eye editor Ian Hislop’s criticism of the Tories’ failure to help the postmasters and postmistresses affected by the Horizon IT scandal while they were in office.
“You’re talking complete and utter nonsense,” Berry told the Have I Got News For You panellist. Things went downhill pretty quickly from there.
A close ally of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Berry has always been a staunch defender of his man. But even by his standards, claiming that Johnson was brought down by the Whitehall establishment – or “the blob” – rather than the mass resignation of his own ministers, was quite something. In the same social media post, he also claimed that Brexit had been “blocked” by “the establishment.” This came as a surprise to the entire country, given that the UK had officially left the EU.
Berry has also been known for his lack of sensitivity towards struggling Brits. In 2022, he offered some rather obvious advice to those struggling in the cost of living crisis, telling them to “get a better job.” However, it was later revealed by HuffPost UK that Berry himself was pocketing a monthly sum of £3,500 on top of his MP’s salary for providing “strategic corporate advice” to a law firm.
Despite these setbacks, Berry remains a prominent figure in British politics. His charisma and communication skills have made him a well-known figure in the Conservative party, and his defection to Reform UK has only added to his intrigue. Whether you agree with his views or not, there’s no denying that Berry is a force to be reckoned with.
As he begins a new chapter in his political career, it will be interesting to see how Berry will continue to make his mark on the political landscape. Will he rise to the challenge of leading Reform UK, or will his past mistakes continue to haunt him?
One thing is for sure – Jake Berry is a man who is not afraid to speak his mind, even if it means making a few missteps along the way. And for that, he deserves some credit.
