Robert Jenrick made up his mind to defect months ago | Politics | News
We talk to Jenrick in Manchester (Image: Express)
Robert Jenrick’s press conference, in which he confirmed his departure for Reformation England, managed to narrowly wrest victory from the jaws of defeat. Kemi Badenoch’s operation today was undoubtedly brutal; He left Jenrick and Farage in the lurch and nearly trounced the man who has long proved a catalyst for his rivals within the Conservative Party.
But at this afternoon’s press conference Mr Jenrick appeared to respond with the usual gusto, vigor and vigor we are accustomed to from this diminutive right-wing fanatic. While today’s events were chaotic and surprising, the gist of the matter – Mr Jenrick’s despair at the Conservative Party – was no shock to me. From where? Because he told me his time in the Conservative Party happened more than three months ago, during a quiet moment during the Daily Express pub quiz at the Conservative Party conference in Manchester.
Read more: Jenrick’s exit plan revealed after resignation talk ‘left out’
Mr Jenrick had the idea in October (Image: Getty)
As well as asking questions to the thirsty punters gathered to hear my delightful contest, I chatted to special guest Robert Jenrick, a politician I have long admired and with whom I have a relatively close relationship.
The reality of that conference was that, apart from a brief speech by Kemi Badenoch that went above and beyond expectations, the Tories’ annual meeting in Birmingham had been one of the most demoralizing weeks we’ve ever had by either party.
There was no attendance, the atmosphere was dead and the air reflected storm clouds gathering for the party.
And at that moment, onstage, Mr. Jenrick said simply: “It feels like it’s over.”
He didn’t need to say anything more for me to understand where his mind was settled.
That doesn’t mean he’s planning to jump ship anytime soon; If he had felt that way, I would have printed this anecdote much sooner.
But it seemed to me that he had made up his mind at that point. Because while many Tory MPs appear to have been temporarily persuaded by Ms Badenoch’s improving PMQ performances, May will hit their hopes like a runaway freight train.
Miss Badenoch may live to regret it today (Image: Getty)
Farage is largely right; In Wales, Scotland and many Tory suburban areas the party is set to collapse. PMQs are irrelevant and Conservative MPs will start chatting about leadership once again. Robert Jenrick knew things couldn’t go on.
We now know that when Mr Jenrick and I chattered about the fate of his party on stage at the Impossible Bar in Manchester, he had initiated exploratory conversations about his departure, just weeks before he made his first contact with Mr Farage.
This explains his mood at the conference. Although Mr Farage claims Rob only has a 60:40 chance of making it to the floor, I think his mind was made up from those days in Manchester when he saw the devastated state of his once great party. And it wasn’t a question of if, but when.
His speech at Reform HQ today revealed bruises that the Tory high command may have preferred to have covered with shin guards.
Here’s the basics of whether voters can believe the promises of politicians who have spent so much time making huge mistakes in government. CCHQ may hope they can rebut these with Jenrick’s old tweets, but Conservative MPs, members and councilors will be more receptive to the substance of the case Mr Jenrick has presented.
When the dust settles tomorrow, the long and short of the saga will be that the Conservative Party has lost one of its finest doers, thinkers and campaigners.
This is not something the Conservative Party can easily claim as a victory.
