Tory Leadership Shake-Up: Kemi Badenoch Takes Swift Action Against Robert Jenrick
A dramatic fall from grace for former Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick, who was swiftly ousted from the Conservative Party by leader Kemi Badenoch just hours before he planned to announce his defection to Reform UK.
According to sources close to the party, Jenrick had been secretly planning to defect to Reform UK, with Nigel Farage as his new leader. However, Badenoch's team had discovered evidence of Jenrick's plans and decided to take swift action against him.
In a video message recorded just before 11am on Monday morning, Badenoch laid out the charges against Jenrick, criticizing his handling of welfare and immigration policies during his time as Justice Secretary. The video was released shortly after Farage's press conference in Scotland, where he confirmed that Jenrick was Reform UK's highest-profile defection yet.
However, in a surprising twist, Farage later claimed that Jenrick had not been planning to join Reform UK anytime soon and "might not have joined at all." But the damage had already been done, with sources confirming that Badenoch had already sacked Jenrick from his position as Justice Secretary.
Jenrick's defection was met with widespread condemnation within the Conservative Party, with some MPs calling him a "traitor" and a "coward." Even among some of his former colleagues, there was little sympathy for Jenrick, who has faced criticism over his handling of immigration policies during his time in government.
Badenoch's swift action against Jenrick has been widely praised by party members and MPs, who see her as a decisive leader who is willing to take tough decisions. One MP described her as having "cojones," while another said she had "act[ed] decisively" and shown that the party has "standards."
However, the fallout from Jenrick's defection may not be over yet. Rumors are already circulating that Farage was keen on having Jenrick join Reform UK, despite his claims that the MP had not been planning to defect.
As for Jenrick himself, he will now have to navigate Reform's complex politics with greater care. After getting lost in the corridors of Millbank Tower and missing a press conference due to his navigational errors, it seems he may need to take a step back and reassess his allegiances β at least for now.
A dramatic fall from grace for former Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick, who was swiftly ousted from the Conservative Party by leader Kemi Badenoch just hours before he planned to announce his defection to Reform UK.
According to sources close to the party, Jenrick had been secretly planning to defect to Reform UK, with Nigel Farage as his new leader. However, Badenoch's team had discovered evidence of Jenrick's plans and decided to take swift action against him.
In a video message recorded just before 11am on Monday morning, Badenoch laid out the charges against Jenrick, criticizing his handling of welfare and immigration policies during his time as Justice Secretary. The video was released shortly after Farage's press conference in Scotland, where he confirmed that Jenrick was Reform UK's highest-profile defection yet.
However, in a surprising twist, Farage later claimed that Jenrick had not been planning to join Reform UK anytime soon and "might not have joined at all." But the damage had already been done, with sources confirming that Badenoch had already sacked Jenrick from his position as Justice Secretary.
Jenrick's defection was met with widespread condemnation within the Conservative Party, with some MPs calling him a "traitor" and a "coward." Even among some of his former colleagues, there was little sympathy for Jenrick, who has faced criticism over his handling of immigration policies during his time in government.
Badenoch's swift action against Jenrick has been widely praised by party members and MPs, who see her as a decisive leader who is willing to take tough decisions. One MP described her as having "cojones," while another said she had "act[ed] decisively" and shown that the party has "standards."
However, the fallout from Jenrick's defection may not be over yet. Rumors are already circulating that Farage was keen on having Jenrick join Reform UK, despite his claims that the MP had not been planning to defect.
As for Jenrick himself, he will now have to navigate Reform's complex politics with greater care. After getting lost in the corridors of Millbank Tower and missing a press conference due to his navigational errors, it seems he may need to take a step back and reassess his allegiances β at least for now.