Robert Jenrick has defected to Reform UK, days after being sacked from the Conservative shadow cabinet by party leader Kemi Badenoch. The move follows a dramatic falling-out, with Badenoch’s team claiming they obtained a copy of Jenrick’s planned resignation speech before he could announce his departure.
According to sources, senior figures in Badenoch’s office received screenshots of what was described as “irrefutably” Jenrick’s resignation speech, along with his media plan. The speech criticised senior Tories including Priti Patel and Mel Stride, and praised Nigel Farage as the “right person” to lead the country. Badenoch’s aides advised her to sack Jenrick immediately, fearing he would defect the following Monday to maximise damage.
Badenoch left the task of informing Jenrick to chief whip Rebecca Harris, who called the MP. Jenrick angrily denied planning to defect, according to a shadow cabinet source. Badenoch then released a video message laying out the charges, timed to coincide with a Farage press conference in Scotland. The video was emailed to all Conservative members, with Badenoch promising they “deserve better”.
Farage, appearing in Scotland, seemed caught off guard, saying “it sounds to me like she’s panicked” and insisting no deal had been done with Jenrick yet. He added he would “give him a ring this afternoon” and might “buy him a pint”. Jenrick’s defection was confirmed days later, with Reform UK welcoming him as a new member.
Tory MPs condemned Jenrick as a “coward” and “traitor”, with one former cabinet minister calling him a “snake in the grass”. Badenoch’s team were euphoric at pre-empting the defection, with one senior Tory saying “Jenrick’s clever-dick people, they’re not so clever after all”. The episode has reignited tensions within the Conservative party, as it grapples with defections to Reform UK.
