Robert Jenrick latest: Kemi Badenoch sacks Tory shadow minister for ‘plotting in secret to defect’ – UK Times

Reacting to Kemi Badenoch’s announcement she has sacked Robert Jenrick from her front bench, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said: “I’m very surprised that this news is broken.”

Asked if he had been speaking to Mr Jenrick, the Reform leader said: “I never reveal private conversations of anybody, which is why when people like Malcolm (Offord) came to me to talk, and he was a frontbencher, nothing ever leaked.

“I’m going to say that I’ve had conversations with a number of very senior Conservatives over the course of the last week, over the course of the last month.”

Pressed again about whether he had spoken to the now ex-shadow justice secretary, Mr Farage said: “Of course I’ve talked to Robert Jenrick. Was I on the verge of signing a document with him? No. But have we had conversations? Yes.”

Mr Farage was asked again if Mr Jenrick had been considering leaving the Tories for Reform, and said: “I think virtually every Conservative is considering leaving the Conservatives, yes.”

Asked if this included Mr Jenrick, he replied: “I think that’s been in his mind, yes. I’ve little doubt it’s been in his mind.”

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said she has sacked shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick due to “irrefutable evidence that he was plotting in secret to defect” from the party.

Alongside it, she tweeted : “I have sacked Robert Jenrick from the shadow cabinet, removed the whip and suspended his party membership with immediate effect.

“I was presented with clear, irrefutable evidence that he was plotting in secret to defect in a way designed to be as damaging as possible to his shadow cabinet colleagues and the wider Conservative Party.

“The British public are tired of political psychodrama and so am I. They saw too much of it in the last government, they’re seeing too much of it in THIS government. I will not repeat those mistakes. “