U.K. Conservative leader fires Robert Jenrick over alleged secret defection plot

Kemi Badenoch, leader of Britain’s Conservative Party, said on Thursday she had fired senior lawmaker Robert Jenrick after being "presented with clear, irrefutable evidence" that he was "plotting in secret" to defect from and damage the party. Ms. Badenoch did not name the party, but Mr.

Jenrick, who is described as having hard-right views, had been rumored to be considering defecting to Reform U.K., the right-wing populist party led by Nigel Farage. Mr. Jenrick did not respond to a request for comment. The dismissal came after a string of Conservatives joined Reform, which has surged in popularity since the last general election and has led the polls for almost a year.

On Monday Nadhim Zahawi, a former Conservative minister, announced he had joined Reform, citing the need for "a glorious revolution," and on Wednesday Reform officials said 14 local Conservative council members had switched to the party. Mr. Jenrick was one of Britain’s youngest government ministers in 2019 and later served as minister for immigration for 11 months; he was appointed as a Conservative centrist and a loyalist to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak but, after the party lost power in July 2024, became more vocal on social media and took divisive positions on migration and security.

Asked whether Mr. Jenrick was about to be unveiled as a new member of Reform, Mr. Farage said, "Is he one of many that I’ve talked to about what the future might look like? Absolutely. Have I signed a deal with him?

Key Topics

Politics, Robert Jenrick, Kemi Badenoch, Reform Uk, Nigel Farage, Nadhim Zahawi