Kemi Badenoch Kicks Robert Jenrick Out Of Tory Party Over Alleged Plan To Defect
3 min read
Kemi Badenoch has sacked her shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick, removed the whip and suspended his membership of the Conservative Party "with immediate effect".
In a post on X on Thursday, Tory leader Badenoch said she had been presented with "clear, irrefutable evidence" that Jenrick was "plotting in secret to defect in a way designed to be as damaging as possible to his Shadow Cabinet colleagues and the wider Conservative Party".
There has been heavy speculation that Jenrick could join Nigel Farage's Reform UK, which he has previously denied.
Badenoch added: "The British public are tired of political psychodrama and so am I.
"They saw too much of it in the last government, they’re seeing too much of it in THIS government. I will not repeat those mistakes."
Badenoch beat Jenrick in the contest to replace Rishi Sunak as Conservative Party leader and leader of the opposition in October 2024.
Speaking at a press conference shortly after Badenoch's announcement, Farage confirmed that he had held "conversations" with Jenrick, but denied that a defection was imminent.
"Of course, I've talked to Robert Jenrick. Was I on the verge of signing a document with him? No. But have we had conversations? Yes."
PoliticsHome has contacted Jenrick for comment.
Farage added: "I've had conversations with a number of very senior Conservatives over the course of the last week, over the course of the last month, and a lot of them realise that for all of the talk that Kemi's doing better at PMQs, which is true, for all the talk of a surpposed Kemi bounce, a lot of them realise that on 8 May [local elections], the Conservative Party will cease to be a national party."
Earlier this week, former chancellor Nadhim Zahawi became the most high-profile Conservative politician to defect to Farage's party.
"I know this may come as a surprise to my old party and to many Westminster watchers, but it really shouldn't, and it certainly won't come as a shock to the tens of millions of hard-working, patriotic, decent people up and down our wonderful United Kingdom," the former cabinet minister said.
Former Tory cabinet ministers Jake Berry and Nadine Dorries are among other former Conservatives to defect to Reform. Danny Kruger made the same switch in September to become Reform's fifth MP in the House of Commons.
Reform continues to lead both the Tories and Labour in the opinion polls and is eyeing further electoral gains at the May local elections.
Badenoch later announced that she had appointed Conservative MP Nick Timothy, who served as chief of staff to former prime minister Theresa May, to replace Jenrick as shadow justice secretary.
