Best of the Spectator Coffee House Shots: does British politics reward traitors or faithfuls?
Jan 24, 2026
Danny Finkelstein, a long‑time Conservative peer and former SDP member, shares firsthand tales of switching sides. Richard Johnson, an academic who studies party realignments, traces historical patterns of defections. They discuss when switching pays off, party culture and suspicion of defectors, the emotional cost at constituency level, and how new breakaway groups compare to past movements.
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Defections' Outcome Depends On Destination
- Defecting to a minor party usually harms MPs' careers while moving between major parties often brings rewards.
- Historical examples include SDP/Change UK failures versus Churchill, Reg Prentice and Shaun Woodward who prospered when joining major parties.
Personal Shift From SDP To Conservatives
- Danny Finkelstein describes his SDP-to-Conservative move as different because the SDP had collapsed rather than a straight defection.
- He remembers the Conservative Party as organisationally much larger and culturally different when he joined.
Defection Feels Like Moral Betrayal
- Parties often view defectors as traitors because defections breach trust beyond policy disagreement.
- Labour treats party membership as a moral identity, so leaving feels like betraying a family or church.