Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has issued a stark warning to her MPs to cease internal "psychodrama" and stop undermining the party from within, following the high-profile defections of two senior figures to Reform UK.
Leadership Draws Line Under Defections
In a letter sent to Conservative parliamentarians on Monday 19 January 2026, Badenoch sought to draw a firm line under the political fallout. She insisted the recent departures were "not about policy differences or ideology, they are about character."
The Opposition leader argued that a party focused on effectively holding the government to account and planning for the nation's future cannot simultaneously indulge in internal intrigue. "That behaviour will not be tolerated," she stated unequivocally.
High-Profile Departures to Nigel Farage's Party
The letter follows Badenoch's pre-emptive sacking of her shadow justice secretary, Robert Jenrick, last week. Jenrick switched allegiance to Reform UK just hours after being removed from his post, becoming one of the most significant Tory figures to join Nigel Farage's party.
His move was swiftly followed on Monday by Romford MP Andrew Rosindell, the former shadow foreign affairs minister. Rosindell announced his own defection, citing the Conservatives' "failure" on the issue of "Chagossian self-determination" as his primary reason for leaving.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said he was "delighted" to welcome Rosindell, who became the party's seventh MP. Farage claimed the centre-right of British politics is "coming together as one under the banner of Reform." However, he has suggested the party will not accept further defections until after the local elections on 7 May.
Crackdown on Internal Dissent and Staff Briefing
Badenoch used her communication to address what she described as a "serious misreading" of the situation on social media. She countered suggestions that the defections signalled an ideological shift away from the right for the Conservatives.
"Differences of opinion are part of a healthy party. But there is a clear line between disagreement and trying to damage the party from within," the Tory leader wrote.
She also sounded a cautionary note about party staffers, alleging that "a small number of individuals" had been actively briefing against the party while presenting themselves as Conservative sources. Badenoch urged MPs to ensure their staff acted in line with party strategy and values, branding any internal undermining as "unacceptable."
Despite the setbacks, Badenoch framed the defections as a "minor setback, not a defining moment" for the Conservatives and told colleagues "it is now time to move on." Meanwhile, Newark MP Robert Jenrick has defended his move, stating his former party "failed in government" and was unrepentant about its record, insisting his switch was about "uniting the right."
