In a stunning political volte-face, former Conservative minister Robert Jenrick has defected to Nigel Farage's Reform UK, lavishing praise on his new leader. This dramatic move, confirmed at a press conference on Thursday, 16th January 2026, came just hours after he was sensationally sacked from the Tory Shadow Cabinet and had his party membership suspended.
A Defection Built on a Colourful Past
The alliance between Nigel Farage and his newest recruit, Robert Jenrick, is one of the most unexpected in recent British politics, given their history of public vitriol. Jenrick, once derided by Farage as "Robert Generic," was accused by Conservative chief Kemi Badenoch of plotting his defection before he formally crossed the floor.
At the press conference, Jenrick praised Farage for standing "for the real change we need for over a decade" and urged the public to back him. However, the warmth of this new partnership starkly contrasts with the bitter personal insults they have traded over the years, which are now a matter of public record.
Jenrick's Scathing Assessment of Farage's Competence
Only four months prior to his defection, Jenrick delivered a brutal takedown of the idea of Farage as Prime Minister. He told The Sun that while the Reform UK leader was "a good bloke to go to the pub with," he was unfit for high office.
"I don’t think Nigel’s the kind of bloke you want to have running your kids’ schools, or running your local hospital," Jenrick stated. He further questioned whether Farage could be trusted with the public's finances, savings, or pensions, adding, "I’m not sure if Nigel actually thinks he is the right person to do that himself."
This was not an isolated comment. In a leaked recording from March 2025, obtained by The Telegraph, Jenrick told Tory members that Nigel Farage "can't even run a five-a-side team," referencing the sacking of MP Rupert Lowe. He dismissed Reform as not being a "serious party" and declared Farage incapable of running a country.
Farage's Relentless Attacks on Jenrick's Character
For his part, Nigel Farage has been equally dismissive and personal in his criticism of his new MP. In September 2024, he described Jenrick as "formerly a man that believed in nothing," who had adopted a hardline stance purely for political gain. Farage predicted such a move would divide the Conservative Party.
Doubting Jenrick's conviction again in April 2025, Farage told Sky News: "Maybe... if we thought he was genuine, yes. Don't forget...this is Robert 'Generic'. This is Robert the Remainer. This is the Robert who, I don't stand particularly for anything at all."
Farage's most pointed attack came in August 2025, targeting Jenrick's record as Immigration Minister. He shared a quote where Jenrick noted the increasing number of asylum hotels coming "online," branding him a "fraud" and writing: "I’ve always thought so, this quote proves it." Later, during tensions in Epping over an asylum hotel, Farage advised locals: "This man is a fraud. This man is not to be trusted."
An Unlikely Alliance Forged in Crisis
The defection marks a seismic shift in UK politics, crystallising the threat Reform UK poses to the Conservative Party's right flank. Jenrick's move, following his Damascene conversion to a harder line on immigration and culture war issues, suggests a calculated realignment.
While the press conference presented a united front, the history of mutual contempt between the two men raises immediate questions about the longevity and stability of this new political marriage. The defection is less a meeting of minds and more a pragmatic coalition of discontent, powered by a shared ambition to reshape the British right. Only time will tell if their past insults are forgotten or merely buried beneath a fragile new political pact.
