Overview
- Mendoza, a Westminster City councillor for Abbey Road, leaves the Conservatives to serve as Reform UK’s chief adviser on global affairs.
- Nigel Farage called him an excellent addition and said his expertise in foreign policy would be invaluable as the party shapes its platform.
- Westminster City Council now includes two Reform councillors after Mendoza joined Laila Cunningham, who defected in June.
- Westminster Conservatives described the move as disappointing, and it is not yet clear whether Mendoza will retain his committee roles.
- Coverage notes the appointment is viewed as a rebuttal to claims Reform has been soft on Russia, with reports that Mendoza has been sanctioned by Moscow and Tehran and context from the Nathan Gill controversy.