Prue Leigh on clashes with son Danny Kruger as he joins Reform

Prue Leith's son Danny Kruger has defected to Reform UK, the first sitting Conservative MP to do so. The East Wiltshire MP’s defection was unveiled at a press conference in Mayfair on Monday, where Nigel Farage said Mr Kruger would head up Reform’s efforts to prepare for Government.

Describing his move as “personally painful”, Mr Kruger condemned the Tory party as “over”.

Kruger's famous mum - The Great British Bake Off judge Prue Leith - has previously been very vocal about their own clashes over opposing political views.

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Prue said she often disagrees with her son and has even come under fire herself over his divisive opinions. Throughout his political career, Kruger has been outspoken about his views on subjects including assisted death, women’s right to bodily autonomy and the role of marriage in society.

At the 2023 National Conservatism conference, he stated that marriage between men and women was “the only basis for a safe and successful society”.

When asked whether she got attacked for her son’s beliefs, Prue said: “All the time. Especially on evil Twitter. ‘How could you raise such a monster?’ He’s a Tory for goodness’ sake. Half the country are Tories – actually, not any more I don’t imagine,” she added.

The TV chef and son Danny confronted their different views on assisted dying during the filming of the Channel 4 programme, Prue and Danny’s Death Road Trip.

In the documentary, the mother and son visited Oregon, on the US West Coast, where doctor-assisted suicide is legal.

Prue, who is in favour of assisted dying, accused her son of scaremongering on the topic. Prue has been a long-time campaigner for legalising the service in the UK for the terminally ill, after her brother died “in agony” of bone cancer in 2012.

Kruger hit back at his mum saying she was the one who was “scaremongering” by saying people are “facing a terrible, agonising death”. “They’re not,” he argued. “We do not have to have terrible, agonising death.”

The pair visited a doctor who helps people undergo assisted dying, and Prue told the camera: “I’m feeling a bit sorry for Daniel because, frankly, Stephanie made such a good case that I think he should change his mind.”

Asked if she thought he will, Prue aid: “No, he won’t. I’m sure he won’t. I think fundamentally, Daniel thinks it’s wrong. And I think he so believes in the ‘sanctity of human life’, if you like, and it’s a genuine belief… But I’m not asking him to do it, I’m just asking him to let me do it.”

In a conversation with her son, Prue asked him: “You don’t think that behind your personal and your faith’s objection is the belief that suffering is part of life, Jesus suffered on the cross, suffering is good for the soul?”

He responded: “I think suffering is a part of life, but I don’t think we should suffer unnecessarily. Certainly, we should be putting all our efforts into stopping suffering at the end of life.”

Today Kruger appeared alongside Nigel Farage as he announced he had moved to Reform UK. He said: “We have had a year of stasis and drift and the sham unity that comes from not doing anything bold or difficult or controversial and the result is in the polls.

“And those voters aren’t coming back, and every day, more and more people are joining them in deserting the party that has failed.”

Turning to his new job, Mr Kruger said: “Our mission is not just to overthrow the current system, it is to restore the system we need.”