Defection MP locked out of office loses court case

An MP has lost a High Court bid to be let back into his old constituency office after being locked out following his defection from the Conservatives to Reform UK.

Andrew Rosindell, who has represented Romford in east London since 2001, defected in January and was later locked out of the constituency office he had occupied at Margaret Thatcher House.

The MP began legal proceedings against the Romford Conservative Association (RCA), which runs the building, with his lawyers telling a hearing it had "taken the law into its own hands".

The RCA opposed the bid, with its barristers stating it was "blindingly obvious" that Rosindell's licence to use the premises only applied when he was a Tory.

The MP argued on Monday that he should be granted an injunction allowing him "full and unfettered" access but the RCA said allowing continued access would have meant he could "spy" on its activities in the run-up to the local elections.

In a ruling, Mr Justice Choudhury refused the injunction bid, stating Mr Rosindell's case was "intrinsically weak" and that he "ought to have realised that he had surrendered his right to occupy" his office.

He said: "It would have been obvious to him from the moment of defecting that continued occupation would be unsustainable."

The judge continued that the need for those using the building to "share a common cause" with the Conservative Party "strikes me as not only necessary ... but consistent with common sense", and that there was no evidence that Mr Rosindell had sought alternative accommodation.

He also ordered Mr Rosindell to pay £23,000 of RCA's legal costs.

In court, Tiffany Scott KC, for the association, said Mr Rosindell had "chosen to take no steps to find any alternative office space" and that Reform "ought also to be supporting him".

Adam Richardson, for the MP, told the court in written submissions that the agreement to use the building saw monthly payments of around £1,250 in return for exclusive use of an office at the site and full access for Mr Rosindell and his staff.

After the defection, the association said the agreement for him to use the building was invalid and later changed the locks without notice, with Mr Rosindell's staff only allowed to retrieve work items under supervision.

Richardson said: "The proper course would have been to seek possession through the court. Instead, the respondent has taken the law into its own hands.

"Such conduct is unlawful irrespective of the ultimate determination of any dispute as to the validity of the arrangements."

The barrister continued that the lockout was "materially impairing" Mr Rosindell's ability to serve his constituents and deprived him of safety measures inside the building, including CCTV and a panic room.