Robert Jenrick has urged others to join Reform UK after he defected to Nigel Farage’s party in a deeply scathing attack on his former Conservative colleagues.
The former shadow justice secretary was sacked by leader Kemi Badenoch on Thursday before he was revealed by Mr Farage as Reform UK’s latest recruit.
Writing in The Telegraph, Mr Jenrick said he is “proud to be Reform’s 270,000th member” and said: “If you’re not already on board, join the movement. The future of the country is on the line.”
Attacking his former party, he wrote: “The Conservative Party can’t admit – to themselves or to the British people – what it’s done. It isn’t sorry. Still doesn’t get it. And hasn’t really changed.”
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch had sacked him earlier on Thursday, citing “irrefutable evidence” that he was “plotting to jump ship in a damaging way”.
At a Westminster press conference alongside Mr Farage, Mr Jenrick revealed he had been in talks with Reform for four months. He said: “Both Labour and the Conservatives broke Britain, and both are now dominated by those without the competence or the backbone needed to fix it.”
Starmer brands Tories a ‘sinking ship’ as Jenrick defects to Reform UK
Jenrick was a “friend of mine”, his Tory replacement says
The Independent’s political correspondent Millie Cooke reports:
Nick Timothy, who has replaced Robert Jenrick as Tory shadow justice secretary, said his predecessor was “a friend of mine”.
But he added that the public are sick of “the backbiting and the backstabbing” in British politics.
Asked whether he was friends with the former Tory, who defected to Reform UK on Thursday, the new shadow justice secretary told BBC Breakfast: “Yeah, Rob’s been a friend of mine for some time.
“It’s obviously disappointing that he’s decided to move on, but the thing is, what we learned yesterday is the clear contrast between the Conservatives led by Kemi Badenoch and the other parties and what they offer Britain today.
“The public are sick of the backbiting and the backstabbing and the lack of seriousness in our political parties when the challenges that the country faces are so serious, Kemi was given irrefutable evidence of what was about to happen, and she acted very decisively.”
‘Same chaos and drama’ for the Tories, says minister
Pat McFadden said there was “the same chaos and drama” on the right of politics as when the Conservatives were in power.
Asked how worried he was that the right is starting to unite after a number of Tory defections to Reform UK, the Work and Pensions Secretary told Times Radio: “I don’t think what we’ve seen in the last few days is evidence of the right starting to unite.
“On the contrary, I think it’s evidence that we’re seeing more of the same chaos and drama that’s been happening on the right, which so dominated our politics during the 14 years of the Conservatives’ period in power.”
He said Labour was focused on improving public services, adding: “These are not things that can be done with politicians engaged in an endless civil war.”
Government minister ‘not worried’ about Labour defection to reform
Pat McFadden insisted he was “not worried” after Nigel Farage suggested there was about to be a Labour defection to Reform UK.
The Work and Pensions Secretary told Times Radio: “I’m not worried, and I don’t know if that will happen but if it does, it’s still a right-wing project.
“This is a project that parrots President Putin’s line on foreign affairs, we’ve seen that most recently over Ukraine.
“It’s a project that doesn’t believe in the NHS. Nigel Farage himself has said that the model of the NHS is wrong.
“So whether it’s on foreign affairs or domestic affairs, this is a right-wing project and we will stand firmly against it.”
Everything Farage and Jenrick have said about each other in recent years
A reminder of all the jibes and insults:
Tories reveal ‘proof’ Jenrick was plotting defection
A letter published by the Conservatives of wording Mr Jenrick had allegedly drafted and that were shown to Kemi Badenoch says: “Nigel has stood for the real change we need for over a decade.”
Jenrick defects after sacking and declares Farage is leader Britain needs: Full report
Opinion: Sacking ‘traitor’ starts Tories’ fight to death with Reform
Labour brand Jenrick ‘shameless chancer’
Labour have branded Tory-to-Reform defector Robert Jenrick a “shameless chancer”.
Labour Party chairwoman Anna Turley said: “Robert Jenrick says the Tories broke Britain. Now he wants to do the same again with Farage’s Reform. He’s a shameless chancer who, like the other failed Tories who have scuttled off to Reform, are more interested in their careers than the country.
“With Jenrick in tow, Reform clearly wants to deliver the same chaos and decline he did while in government.
“While the Tories and Reform argue amongst themselves, Labour is delivering on the priorities of the British people and cutting the cost of living.”
Analysis: How mild-mannered MP became ‘Trumpian hellraiser’
How mild-mannered Robert Jenrick turned into a ‘Trumpian hellraiser’
Source: UK Politics - www.independent.co.uk
