British Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said she has sacked Robert Jenrick as the party's justice spokesperson and suspended his party membership due to "irrefutable evidence that he was plotting in secret to defect in a way designed to be as damaging as possible" to his Conservative colleagues.
Ms Badenoch said on X: "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."
I have sacked Robert Jenrick from the Shadow Cabinet, removed the whip and suspended his party membership with immediate effect.
— Kemi Badenoch (@KemiBadenoch) January 15, 2026
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… pic.twitter.com/zoSzFp0cKq
Nigel Farage has said he did not plan to unveil Mr Jenrick as the latest defection to Reform UK at a planned press conference in London this afternoon.
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 Mr Jenrick, 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."
