Robert Jenrick joins Reform UK following Conservative sacking

Shiva K Dhakal
National Press Corporation(NPC)
United Kingdom—Former Conservative minister Robert Jenrick has joined Reform UK after being dismissed from the Conservative front bench, in a move that has intensified divisions within the UK’s centre-right politics.

Jenrick confirmed he had held discussions with Reform UK leader Nigel Farage as early as September, but said he had not at that point decided to leave the Conservatives. Speaking after his defection, he said he was “proud” to have joined Reform UK and insisted that no promises or positions had been offered in return.

“It is a sad day to leave the Conservative Party,” Jenrick said, adding that there were still “many good MPs and dedicated members” within the party.

Nigel Farage said Jenrick’s move marked “a big day in the realignment of the genuine centre-right” in British politics. He claimed that until Jenrick was sacked by Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, there was only a “60/40 chance” that he would defect.

Badenoch, however, rejected suggestions that the decision forced Jenrick’s hand. She said she had “clear, irrefutable evidence” that Jenrick had been “plotting in secret” to defect in a manner intended to cause maximum political damage to the Conservatives.

A senior shadow cabinet source told the BBC that Jenrick had left his resignation speech “printed out and lying around”, reinforcing claims that his departure had been pre-planned.

Following Jenrick’s dismissal, Badenoch appointed Nick Timothy as the new shadow justice secretary.

Asked whether he had been promised a role by Farage or Reform UK, Jenrick denied any deal had been struck, saying his decision was based on political conviction rather than personal advancement.

Farage suggested that Jenrick’s arrival would attract more supporters and hinted that further senior figures could follow. He said Jenrick brought “frontline experience” that would strengthen Reform UK’s challenge to both major parties.

Jenrick’s defection underscores growing tensions within the Conservative Party and highlights Reform UK’s ambition to position itself as a major force on the right ahead of the next general election.