A leaked media strategy document has revealed that former Conservative minister Robert Jenrick's planned defection to Nigel Farage's Reform UK was billed internally as the arrival of the 'new sheriff in town'.
The Leaked Defection Blueprint
The cringe-inducing plan, obtained by the Sunday Times, was reportedly discovered by Shadow Chancellor Kemi Badenoch, who subsequently sacked Mr Jenrick from her Shadow Cabinet. The document boldly claimed the ex-Shadow Justice Secretary would be the 'biggest defection story' Reform has ever had, and likely ever will be.
It lavished praise on the MP, describing him as 'the most popular Tory Shadow Cabinet member' and a 'leader-in-waiting' should Ms Badenoch's position falter. The plan positioned him as a figure bringing 'experience and political heft' to Reform's operation, with a stated aim to 'support Nigel' Farage.
Swift Fallout and Defection
Hours after his dismissal from the Shadow Cabinet, Mr Jenrick, once mockingly called 'Robert Generic' by critics, formally announced his switch to Reform UK on 18 January 2026. A source close to the MP denied his personal involvement in drafting the leaked plan.
A spokesman for Mr Jenrick stated: 'As the document makes clear, Rob is just a member of Nigel's team and wants to help get him in as prime minister. And it's a team which, unlike the Tories, wants to change Britain rather than pretend it isn't broken.'
Political Reactions and Wider Context
The defection sparked immediate criticism from across the political spectrum. Labour's Mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin, told the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg that Reform is 'turning into a care home for clapped-out Tories', suggesting figures were jumping ship when leadership ambitions faded.
In a separate development, Labour's Lisa Nandy was pressed on Sky News about rumours of a Labour defection to Reform. She joked it was not her and, when asked about Health Secretary Wes Streeting, laughed: 'Absolutely not - not in a million years. I think he'd probably rather claw his own eyes out than get involved in that rabble.'
Ms Nandy also declined to rule out previous claims that a government led by Nigel Farage would be fascist, telling Sky News: 'I'm not sure that labels are particularly helpful... if it walks like a duck and it quacks like a duck, in my experience, it usually is a duck.'
The episode highlights the ongoing turbulence within the right of British politics, as Reform UK seeks to capitalise on Conservative discontent and position itself as a credible alternative.
