Robert Jenrick has accused the Conservatives of being run by 'arsonists' who tanked the party's reputation, hitting back at allegations of lying from former leader Kemi Badenoch after his defection to Reform UK. In his first interview since the announcement, the former shadow justice secretary said the party had not changed since the election.
Jenrick told the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg on Friday: 'The people who’d made those mistakes were still sat around the shadow cabinet table, the arsonists were still in control of the party.' He insisted he had been frank about his intentions, despite telling the Conservative chief whip on Thursday he would never defect.
Badenoch earlier said Jenrick 'tells a lot of lies', citing his denial to the chief whip. She added that Reform leader Nigel Farage was 'doing my spring cleaning for me' by taking away her problems. The public row comes as both parties digest Reform's most significant defection yet.
Michael Gove, the former Tory cabinet minister, told BBC Radio 4 that Reform risked looking like 'Slytherin house' rather than a fresh force. Nick Timothy, who replaced Jenrick as shadow justice secretary, said voters were 'sick of the backbiting'. Jenrick urged other rightwingers to join Reform, but said he knew of no imminent high-profile defections.
Labour dismissed Farage's comments about an incoming Labour defector next week. Chancellor Rachel Reeves said such claims should be taken 'with a pinch of salt', and a Labour source doubted the defector would be senior.
