The Tories descended into chaos today as Kemi Badenoch sacked shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick for plotting to defect.
In a moment of high drama at Westminster, Mrs Badenoch announced that she had seen ‘irrefutable evidence’ that her former rival was intending to do the maximum damage possible.
‘I have sacked Robert Jenrick from the Shadow Cabinet, removed the whip and suspended his party membership with immediate effect,’ she said.
‘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.’
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
Mr Jenrick was defeated by Mrs Badenoch for the Tories’ top job in November 2024
Mr Jenrick was defeated by Mrs Badenoch for the Tories’ top job in November 2024.
However, he has constantly fuelled speculation about his ambitions by roving well beyond his justice portfolio.
There have been persistent rumours linking him with a move to Nigel Farage’s Reform, but he has previously played the idea down.
At a press conference in Scotland this morning Mr Farage was coy about how advanced his talks with Mr Jenrick has been.
‘Of course I have talked to Robert Jenrick. Was I on the verge of of signing a document with him? No. Have I spoken to him? Yes.’
