Robert Jenrick, the former shadow justice secretary, has defected to Nigel Farage's Reform UK, branding the Conservative Party as 'rotten' and 'failed'. His move came hours after being sacked by Tory leader Kemi Badenoch, who cited 'irrefutable evidence' of his planned defection.
Speaking at a joint press conference with Farage in Westminster, Jenrick launched a fierce attack on his former colleagues. 'Both Labour and the Conservatives broke Britain,' he said, adding that the Conservative Party 'isn't sorry, it doesn't get it, it hasn't changed, it won't change, it can't change'.
Jenrick admitted he had resolved to leave the Tories earlier on Thursday, though he had not expected to defect that day. Discussions with Reform had begun in September, facilitated by former Tory adviser Tim Montgomerie. Jenrick confirmed he will not trigger a byelection in his Newark constituency.
Farage described Jenrick as the 'No 1 Tory' his party had wanted to recruit, and said that after the 7 May local elections, Reform would reject further defectors. Jenrick is expected to take on a senior role, potentially as economic spokesperson, though this could cause tensions with deputy leader Richard Tice and policy head Zia Yusuf.
The defection deepens the divide on the right of British politics, as Badenoch struggles to maintain Conservative unity amid a series of high-profile moves to Reform. Jenrick singled out shadow chancellor Mel Stride and shadow foreign secretary Priti Patel for criticism over their records in government.
