Chris Kelly: I'm definitely not joining UKIP

Dudley South's Chris Kelly surprised his party when he announced he would not be defending his seat at the General Election, after just one term in office.

But despite assurances that he had not been in discussions with UKIP, rumours continued to be discussed and Tory sources admitted they were concerned he would follow Rochester and Strood MP Mark Reckless and Clacton's Douglas Carswell and abandon the Conservatives.

However, Mr Kelly issued an unequivocal denial as the Conservatives met at Birmingham's International Convention Centre for their last party conference before the election.

He said: "Following recent speculation, I want to be absolutely clear that I will not be defecting to UKIP.

"I have always been a committed Conservative and will be doing everything I can over the next eight months to ensure a Conservative majority government in May 2015. Only a Conservative government will deliver an in-out EU referendum."

Chairman of Dudley South Conservative Association, Councillor Natalie Neale, said there was not currently a candidate selected to replace Mr Kelly.

But she said: "There was never any doubt about Chris. He assured me himself he wouldn't join UKIP. I didn't feel the need to ask him, he volunteered that assurance.

"He's been Conservative for a very, very long time. He and I were huge admirers of Margaret Thatcher."

UKIP MEP and Dudley councillor Bill Etheridge said the party was talking to 'a number' of Conservatives and Labour members about defecting.

See also: White Dee hints at Ukip support

He said: "I am not aware of any approach having been made to Chris Kelly and haven't spoken to him myself. But I think it's disappointing that he's choosing to just let his career as an MP fizzle out in eight months."

Mr Kelly said his reasons for standing down were personal. He told the Express & Star previously that he had 'found it increasingly difficult to find the right balance between my work and my personal and family life'.

He said: "The unpredictability of business in the Commons combined with driving back and forth between the West Midlands and London has meant that I haven't been able to see those close to me as often as I'd like.

"I've seen too many friends' relationships fail in Parliament and I don't want the same thing to happen to me."

See also: You'd be nuts to join UKIP, says Boris Johnson

He said he had several friends who had left the Conservative party for UKIP. Some, he said, had asked him to join them but each time he had said no and asked them to re-join the Tories.

Tory backbench MP Nadine Dorries, whose daughter Philippa is the girlfriend of Mr Kelly, said: "I do know this much, for definite because he's my daughter's boyfriend of four years – Chris Kelly will not be defecting, not if he ever wants another roast dinner from me again."

The Tories must now contest two by-elections in the constituencies of Mr Carswell and Mr Reckless, both of whom resigned as MPs so they could seek a mandate from voters to represent their new parties.

Conservative party chairman Grant Shapps said Mr Reckless, who defected over the weekend, 'lied and lied and lied again' by denying he was going to defect.

"Let this be a rallying cry - my friends, we are going to campaign hard in Rochester and Strood because the people there deserve an MP who will keep his word because our country needs us now more than ever," Mr Shapps told the conference.