Former Conservative frontbencher Robert Jenrick has framed his dramatic defection to Reform UK as an act that "united the right", putting country before party loyalty. His claims come amid a fierce backlash from his former colleagues, with ex-leader Kemi Badenoch labelling him a liar and dismissing him as "Nigel Farage's problem".
The Defection and the Denial
In an interview with the BBC on Friday 16 January 2026, Jenrick firmly denied that personal ambition motivated his switch to Reform. This followed his sacking from the shadow cabinet and suspension from the Conservative Party by Badenoch, who accused him of plotting the move.
Jenrick argued that his hope was for Thursday to be remembered as "a time when the right united, when people put aside party loyalties and came together to fix our country". He revealed that while the defection wasn't planned for that specific day, he had "resolved" to go during the Christmas break.
The final catalyst, he said, was a shadow cabinet away day last week where he clashed with colleagues over whether Britain was "broken". Jenrick claimed some agreed privately but felt unable to say so publicly because the Conservatives were in government.
Badenoch's Blistering Response
Responding during a visit to Aberdeen, Kemi Badenoch delivered a scathing assessment of her former shadow justice secretary. She ruled out any pre-election pact with Reform, asking "How do you do a deal with liars?" and accusing Jenrick of being untruthful for years.
Badenoch suggested Farage had done her "spring cleaning", adding "Robert Jenrick was not a team player". She expressed "100% confidence" that no further shadow cabinet members would defect. Nick Timothy, Jenrick's replacement, said Tory MPs had met the departure with "resolve".
Leaked Tape and Political 'Rough and Tumble'
The defection was further complicated by a leaked audio recording, obtained by The Telegraph, of Jenrick heavily criticising Nigel Farage in a speech to Tory members last year. In the tape, he claimed Farage "can't even run a five-a-side team" and that Reform was "not a serious party".
When questioned by the BBC, Jenrick dismissed these past comments as part of the "rough and tumble of politics", noting both men had "said stuff" about each other. Farage, who once called Jenrick "a fraud" and "a hypocrite", laughed off the old insults at a press conference on Thursday.
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey entered the fray, stating the public was "fed up of hearing that Britain is broken from the very people like Robert Jenrick and Nigel Farage who broke it in the first place".
