In a dramatic political upheaval, former Conservative shadow cabinet minister Robert Jenrick has crossed the floor to join Nigel Farage's Reform UK, following his abrupt sacking by Tory leader Kemi Badenoch.
The Sacking and the 'Irrefutable Evidence'
The seismic shift in Westminster began on the morning of Thursday 15 January 2026, when Kemi Badenoch dismissed Robert Jenrick from his position. Badenoch stated unequivocally that she possessed "irrefutable evidence" indicating Jenrick was secretly planning a damaging defection to the rival party, Reform UK.
Badenoch's decisive action came after the Conservative Party obtained and subsequently published extracts from a letter. This document, allegedly left by a member of Jenrick's own team, laid out his intention to defect. The letter contained sharp criticism of both the Conservative and Labour parties, framing them as obstacles to genuine change.
Farage's Announcement and Jenrick's New Allegiance
Just hours after his dismissal, the political drama reached its climax. Nigel Farage stood before the media at a press conference to announce that Robert Jenrick was now a member of Reform UK. Farage revealed that discussions between Jenrick and Reform had been ongoing "for weeks", confirming the suspicions that led to his sacking.
The published letter stated that Jenrick was proud to become Reform's 281,000th member. It expressed his belief that Nigel Farage was the correct leader to steer a movement for "real change" across the United Kingdom, a pointed contrast to his former party.
Fallout and the Claim That 'Tories Won't Change'
In the wake of the defection, Robert Jenrick has levelled a damning critique at his former colleagues. He has claimed that the Conservative Party "won't and can't change", a sentiment that likely formed the core of his decision to seek a new political home with Reform UK.
This high-profile defection represents a significant coup for Nigel Farage and Reform UK, injecting a well-known former Tory minister into their ranks. For the Conservatives under Kemi Badenoch, it is a stark and very public challenge to party unity and direction, exposing internal divisions at a critical time.
The episode underscores the ongoing realignment in British politics, where loyalty is tested and the battle for the mantle of change intensifies. The full consequences of Jenrick's move for both the Tory party and the electoral landscape are yet to be fully realised.
