Robert Jenrick, the former shadow justice secretary, defected to Reform UK on Thursday, branding the Conservatives a “rotten” and “failed” party after being sacked by leader Kemi Badenoch for allegedly plotting against her.
Jenrick appeared alongside Nigel Farage at a hastily arranged press conference in Westminster, delivering a scathing attack on his former party. “Both Labour and the Conservatives broke Britain,” he said. “Both parties are committed to a set of ideas that have failed Britain.”
Badenoch had removed the whip and suspended Jenrick’s party membership earlier in the day, citing “irrefutable evidence” of his planned defection. Jenrick admitted he had resolved to leave the Tories by that morning, though the sacking accelerated his move.
Jenrick singled out shadow chancellor Mel Stride and shadow foreign secretary Priti Patel for criticism, accusing them of overseeing failures on welfare and migration. He said discussions with Reform had begun in September, facilitated by former Tory adviser Tim Montgomerie.
Farage described Jenrick as the “No 1 Tory” his party had wanted, but warned that after the May local elections, Reform would reject further defectors. Jenrick is expected to take on a policy role, though his appointment could cause tensions with other senior Reform figures.
