George Freeman, the Conservative MP for Mid Norfolk, has reported a video circulating on social media to the police after saying it falsely showed him announcing a switch to Reform UK. He described the footage as "an AI-generated deepfake" and said he remains "the Conservative MP for Mid Norfolk and have no intention of joining Reform or any other party".

In the clip shared widely online the person appearing to be Freeman was shown saying "the time for half measures is over" and that the "Conservative party had lost its way" before appearing to declare they had joined Reform. Freeman has denied the claims and stated the footage is not genuine.

Freeman said: "The video is a fabrication, created without my knowledge or consent, and uses my image and voice without permission." He added: "Regardless of my position as an MP, that should be an offence."

He confirmed he had reported the matter to the relevant authorities and urged people who encounter the video not to share it and to report it instead.

Freeman warned about the wider implications of such material, saying: "This sort of political disinformation has the potential to seriously distort, disrupt and corrupt our democracy."

He said he did not know whether the incident was targeted political action or "just a dangerous prank", and commented that there has been a notable rise in online disinformation, disruption and extremism across different parts of the political spectrum.

Freeman said he had reported the clip to the authorities. Norfolk Police and the social media platform where the video circulated were approached for comment.

Freeman has represented Mid Norfolk since 2010 and has previously held ministerial roles in the UK Government. Most recently he served as Minister of State in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.

In his statement Freeman said: "I have reported this matter to the relevant authorities, and I urge anyone who sees the video to report it immediately rather than share it further."