Former Tory colleagues of Robert Jenrick tonight blasted his defection to Reform and said he appeared to have ‘lost his mind’.
Conservatives in Westminster and Mr Jenrick’s Newark constituency – who were left stunned by Tory leader Kemi Badenoch’s decision to sack him – expressed their disappointment at his secret scheme to join Nigel Farage’s rival party.
Some said Mr Jenrick was ‘consumed by personal ambition’ rather than by loyalty to his former political allies.
One member of the Shadow Cabinet told the Daily Mail: ‘I think he’s actually lost his mind.
‘It makes no sense. It’s like he’s gone a bit crazy.
‘Jenrick became consumed with personal ambition, both in the last leadership election and then later when it looked like Kemi’s position might have been under threat.
‘When it became clear that in fact Kemi wasn’t going anywhere, Jenrick’s ambition was frustrated and now he’s done this stupid thing.
‘Jenrick is damaged goods. Farage purports to be setting himself apart from other politicians, why would he even accept him into Reform?
Former Tory Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick shakes hands with Reform UK leader Nigel Farage at a press conference, this afternoon after defecting
‘All Jenrick cares about is becoming leader, and now that his ambition has been frustrated he seems to have lost his mind.’
The Shadow Cabinet member confirmed Ms Badenoch’s office had obtained a document which outlined Mr Jenrick’s secret plan to defect.
This was the ‘clear, irrefutable evidence’ referred to in Ms Badenoch’s bombshell statement announcing Mr Jenrick’s sacking this morning.
‘I have spoken to someone in the leader’s office who had it in their possession,’ the Tory politician told the Daily Mail.
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch’s statement posted on X, formerly Twitter, earlier today announcing she had sacked Robert Jenrick
‘The document was apparently very rude about quite a few Shadow Cabinet members.’
It appeared to back up Ms Badenoch’s comments to Sky News that she acted because Mr Jenrick was not only planning to defect but to do so in a way that would ‘hurt other people in the party’, which she said was ‘quite wrong’.
The Shadow Cabinet source said it was ‘very strange’ that such a crucial document had made its way to Ms Badenoch’s office, and suggested: ‘Maybe one of Jenrick’s advisers was carrying it around and left it on a table.
After winning the Conservative Party leadership contest on November 2, 2024, Kemi Badenoch is pictured being congratulated by Robert Jenrick
‘I’m sure this will be picked over endlessly by political historians.’
The source said there were no indications of the forthcoming storm during the usual Shadow Cabinet meeting on Wednesday.
‘During a very general discussion on defence and foreign policy, and on Britain’s place in Europe and the world, Jenrick was making the case for isolationism,’ the source said.
Robert Jenrick speaking at a Reform UK press conference in Westminster, London, this evening
‘I’ve heard him say in the past that we should not be helping Ukraine, that it’s far away and nothing to do with us.
‘In the last couple of weeks he’s been saying that he doesn’t think we should have boots on the ground in Ukraine.
‘But his points in Wednesday’s Shadow Cabinet were more general isolationist points.
‘And that was his final contribution to the proceedings of a Conservative Shadow Cabinet.’
A Conservative councillor on Nottinghamshire County Council said he felt ‘totally betrayed’ by Mr Jenrick.
Newark West ward councillor Keith Girling said: ‘I’m obviously very, very, very disappointed in Robert.
‘I’m a great believer in loyalty and he’s shown a complete lack of loyalty there.
‘I think Kemi has done absolutely the right thing when she finds evidence of what he’s plotting to do.
‘She’s shown real leadership there to sack him, kick him out of the party, and we’ll deal with the aftermath.’
Asked if he felt betrayed, Mr Girling said: ‘Totally betrayed. We’ve supported Robert with his political ambition, you know, he obviously wanted to be the leader (of the Conservative Party).
‘Clearly he was disappointed he didn’t get that. But that’s not down to the efforts of this association who’s always supported him, you know, and he’s really just sort of turned his back on all that, on that loyalty, and gone his own way.
‘I think that’s quite shameful, really.’
