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. The move marks the highest-profile Tory defection to Reform, deepening the divide on the British right as Badenoch struggles to maintain party unity.
Jenrick, who previously stood against Badenoch for the Tory leadership, appeared alongside Nigel Farage at a hastily arranged press conference in Westminster. He declared: “The Conservative party in Westminster isn’t sorry, it doesn’t get it, it hasn’t changed, it won’t change, it can’t change.” He added that he could not “in good conscience stick with a party that has failed so badly.”
Badenoch removed the whip and suspended Jenrick’s party membership earlier in the day, citing “irrefutable evidence” of his planned defection. She appointed Nick Timothy as shadow justice secretary. Jenrick admitted he had already resolved to leave the party by that morning, though the sacking accelerated the timeline. Farage called it the “latest Christmas present I’ve ever had,” noting the defection was uncertain until Badenoch forced the issue.
Jenrick criticised former cabinet colleagues, including shadow chancellor Mel Stride and shadow foreign secretary Priti Patel, for overseeing welfare and migration failures. He confirmed discussions with Reform began in September, facilitated by former Tory adviser Tim Montgomerie, but insisted they focused on the state of the country rather than a defection deal. He will not call a byelection in his Newark constituency.
Farage said that after the 7 May local elections, Reform would reject further Tory defections and begin assigning roles. Jenrick is expected to discuss economic policy, though his appointment could cause tensions with deputy leader Richard Tice and policy head Zia Yusuf. Farage described Jenrick as “in sackcloth and ashes” over his past government decisions.
