Westminster was rocked on Thursday by a seismic defection as former Conservative leadership contender Robert Jenrick crossed the floor to join Nigel Farage's insurgent Reform UK party. The move, described as a political "hand grenade," followed a dramatic pre-emptive strike by Tory leader Kemi Badenoch, who sacked him after uncovering evidence of his secret plot.
A Dramatic Day of Political Theatre
The day's extraordinary events began when a Conservative mole discovered a printed draft of Mr Jenrick's defection speech and handed it to Mrs Badenoch. Acting swiftly, the Tory leader released a video just after 11am announcing she had fired the Shadow Justice Secretary and expelled him from the party. She cited "clear irrefutable evidence that he was plotting in secret to defect in a way designed to be as damaging as possible."
In a warning aimed at stemming further losses, Mrs Badenoch stated: "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."
From Tory Turncoat to Reform's New Star
Just five hours after his sacking, Mr Jenrick's future was confirmed at a joint press conference with Nigel Farage. The former Immigration Minister, who had been in secret talks with the Reform leader since September, launched a stinging attack on the party he joined at age 16. He declared that his former colleagues now had as much chance of winning the next election as the Greens.
In an exclusive interview, Mr Jenrick told the Daily Mail: "If we don't get the next government right Britain will likely slip beyond the point of repair." He urged all centre-Right voters to "rally behind Nigel Farage" if they wanted to oust Keir Starmer's Labour government.
Mr Farage, meanwhile, thanked Mrs Badenoch for driving Mr Jenrick into his arms, revealing the defection had only been "60:40" to happen at that moment. A senior Reform source indicated Mr Jenrick was set to be rewarded with the post of shadow chancellor, a move that could cause friction with deputy leader Richard Tice.
Fallout and the Battle to Unite the Right
The defection has dismayed those within the Conservative Party who argue that Labour can only be defeated if the Tories and Reform reach an accommodation to unite the right-wing vote. However, Mr Jenrick explicitly stated there is "not going to be a pact," while Mr Farage insisted the right could now only unite behind him.
Senior Tories reacted with fury. One shadow cabinet minister labelled Mr Jenrick a "snake," while another suggested he had "lost his mind." A source claimed his ambition was frustrated after it became clear Mrs Badenoch's leadership was secure.
Former cabinet minister Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg urged the two parties to form a common front, stating: "I think it remains absolutely essential in a first-past-the-post system that you have to unite your wing of politics."
Mr Jenrick, who will not fight a by-election in his Newark seat, becomes the sixth Reform MP in the Commons. His defection marks a tumultuous chapter for the 44-year-old, whose career has seen him rise to Cabinet under Boris Johnson before resigning as Immigration Minister over the Rwanda scheme.
