In a dramatic political realignment, former Conservative minister Robert Jenrick has crossed the floor to join Nigel Farage's Reform UK, framing his departure as akin to ending a bad relationship. The defection, confirmed on Thursday, followed his summary sacking by Tory leader Kemi Badenoch, who accused him of 'plotting in secret'.
'Agonised for a Long Time': Jenrick's Justification
Speaking to the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg, Jenrick passionately defended his decision, rejecting claims he had been 'caught out'. He insisted he had been transparent about his beliefs and described an internal struggle familiar to many. 'Your viewers will all have had situations in their own lives, whether it's a relationship, a job where they have agonised for a long time,' he explained, arguing he had tried to make his role within the Conservatives work before concluding it was 'dishonest' to persist.
Jenrick revealed he had resolved to leave during the Christmas break, with the 'final straw' being a shadow cabinet dispute last week over whether Britain was 'broken'. He claimed some colleagues privately agreed with his assessment but felt unable to voice it publicly because the Tories were in power.
Badenoch's Fury and Accusations of Lying
The reaction from his former party was swift and scathing. On a visit to Aberdeen, Kemi Badenoch, who pipped Jenrick to the Tory leadership in late 2024, did not mince her words. She branded him a liar and ruled out any electoral pact with Reform. 'How do you do a deal with liars? How do you do a deal with people who have been saying things that were clearly not true, not just for months, but clearly for years?' she asked.
Badenoch suggested Farage had done her 'spring cleaning' by taking Jenrick, stating the Conservative team was now stronger and more united. She expressed 100% confidence that no further shadow cabinet members would defect.
Uniting the Right or Personal Ambition?
Jenrick framed his move as an act of putting country before party, aimed at 'uniting the right'. He denied personal ambition was a factor, a claim met with scepticism given his previous criticism of Reform. A leaked audio recording from last year, obtained by The Telegraph, captured Jenrick dismissing Farage as someone who 'can't even run a five-a-side team' and labelling Reform 'not a serious party'.
Jenrick dismissed these past remarks as 'the rough and tumble of politics', a sentiment echoed by Farage, who has previously called Jenrick a 'fraud'. At Thursday's press conference, both men sought to laugh off their former barbs.
The fallout continues, with Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey criticising both Jenrick and Farage, saying the public was 'fed up of hearing that Britain is broken from the very people... who broke it in the first place'. As the next election approaches, this defection signals a significant and acrimonious shift in the UK's right-wing political landscape.
