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Robert Jenrick already Shadow attorney general sacked and pause conservative party Amid widespread speculation, he planned to defect to reform Britain.
leader of the conservative party Kemi Badnock Saying there was “irrefutable evidence that he was secretly plotting to defect in a manner designed to cause the greatest possible harm to his colleagues,” the chief whip informed him of his sacking by phone on Thursday morning.
at the same time, Nigel Farage he said “Of course” had the conversation with the former senior frontbencher, but said he was “very surprised” by the news and that he had not yet reached any agreement with the former shadow attorney general.
Mr Jenrick has fueled speculation about his leadership ambitions since losing his bid to take over as party leader in 2024, repeatedly breaking out of the shadow cabinet and becoming increasingly vocal on social media on issues including immigration.
However, despite rumors that the Newark MP has been pursuing reform and was reported to have dined with Mr Farage last month, their relationship is far from smooth. As recently as last year they were trading insults on social media, with Mr Farage calling him a “liar” and Mr Jenrick previously saying he wanted the Clacton MP “retired”.
What does Robert Jenrick have to say about Nigel Farage and reform?
Mr Jenrick angered people at a University College London Conservative Association dinner last March when he seemed to suggest he was determined to “keep this coalition together” while discussing the threats posed by the reforms. Soon after, Ms Badenock dismissed any possibility of a deal with Mr Farage’s party and dismissed talk of a “pre-election stitch”.
Shortly afterwards, Mr Jenrick struck a different tone when he appeared on the ITV programme. good morning britainsaid: “Look, Kemi Badnock I totally agree with my point of view. Kemi has made it very clear that there will be no deal with Reform, and I have said many times that I want Reform to go bankrupt. I want to send Nigel Farage Return to retirement. ”
In May, Mr Jenrick took aim at support for reforms to lift the cap on second-child benefits, writing on X: “Why does Farage support this policy?
“Did he cook this after one too many pints at the local? Was there any cannabis in his usual Marlboro Gold?”
As recently as August last year, Jenrick accused Reform Party policy chief Zia Yusuf of “telling two more lies” about his stance on immigration hotels and an illegal immigration detention center in Kent.
Mr Jenrick wrote on
Regarding the Manston Arrival and Processing Centre, he said: “The idea that I ‘boasted’ the idea of opening hotels, or that I thought they were a good thing, is patently ridiculous. A complete lie.”
In a separate attack, Mr Jenrick took aim at the UK’s reformist leader’s performance in the Cheltenham election, saying he had “slid away” to forget his troubles while the Conservatives remained committed to ending the “two-tiered sentencing rule”.
What did Farage say to Jenrick?
In recent years, Mr Farage’s attitude towards Mr Jenrick has been frosty at best. He was thanked for co-signing the European Court of Human Rights Withdrawal Bill, which was defeated in the House of Commons last October, and has previously said he would be “more than happy” to discuss potential defections.
However, he also wrote on
Mr Farage said in another article: “When Robert Jenrick While he was immigration minister, he increased the number of illegal immigrants staying in free hotels to 56,000. He was no friend of Epping. “
In another scathing criticism of Mr Jenrick during his campaign to become the Tory leader, he said: “Robert Jenrick, previously a man who believed in nothing, is now presenting himself as the great hardliner. This is almost certainly for political gain rather than conviction. He will divide the party. I doubt if Jenrick wins he will be in power for long.”
However, with news that Mr Jenrick may be about to join Reform Britain, their relationship looks likely to reset, with Mr Farage telling reporters on Thursday afternoon: “I’ll call him this afternoon”, before adding: “I might even buy him a pint.”