Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has dramatically sacked senior MP Robert Jenrick from the Shadow Cabinet, pre-empting his defection to Nigel Farage's Reform UK party. The political firestorm unfolded on Thursday, 16th January 2026, marking a day of high drama in Westminster.
A Pre-emptive Strike and a Stinging Rebuke
Ms Badenoch moved swiftly after catching wind of Mr Jenrick's intention to cross the floor. She dismissed the former Shadow Justice Secretary before he could formally announce his move. Hours later, Nigel Farage welcomed Mr Jenrick as the 24th ex-Tory MP to join Reform's ranks, despite a history of public insults between the two men.
In a series of interviews on Friday, the Tory leader launched a scathing attack on her former colleague. She claimed Mr Jenrick "tells a lot of lies" and stated that "you can't believe a word that comes out of his mouth." When pressed on whether he was a "traitor," Ms Badenoch told Sky News: "Robert Jenrick is not my problem anymore - he's Nigel Farage's problem now."
'Spring Cleaning' for the Conservatives
Striking a defiant tone, Ms Badenoch framed the defection as a positive purge for her party. "I'm thrilled because Nigel Farage is doing my spring cleaning for me," she declared. "The problems are leaving the Conservative Party and they are going to Reform."
She dismissed suggestions that the loss of a high-profile figure was a significant blow, arguing the public has no interest in Tory "psychodrama." Ms Badenoch added that the party is better off without people who treat politics "as a game" and are not committed to its values.
Labour Sees 'Chaos and Drama' on the Right
The opposition was quick to capitalise on the turmoil. Pat McFadden, a top Labour minister, said the events proved there was "the same chaos and drama" on the right of politics as when the Conservatives were in government.
"I don't think what we've seen in the last few days is evidence of the right starting to unite," he told Times Radio. "On the contrary, I think it's evidence that we're seeing more of the same... which so dominated our politics during the 14 years of the Conservatives' period in power."
Meanwhile, Chancellor Rachel Reeves responded with scepticism to Nigel Farage's boast that a Labour MP would defect to Reform next week. She advised taking his claims "with a pinch of salt."
The defection and the acrimonious fallout highlight the ongoing fragmentation within the British right, setting the stage for a fierce political battle as the next general election approaches.
