Nigel Farage gains another Tory in his ‘biggest coup’ so far

The key moment of Robert Jenrick’s departure for Reformation England had it all.

It was politics at its rawest: where choreography had no time to put on its boots.

Hundreds of us were crammed into a room designed for far fewer people at Reform HQ – and then when Nigel Farage announced his newest recruit, there was no sign of him.

In a day full of drama, danger, trickery and intrigue, Jenrick managed to arrive late to break his own ranks with the latest shenanigans.

It was a day that began with tactical prowess from Tory leader Kemi Badenoch, who caught wind that Jenrick was about to jump ship and pushed him overboard herself.

But strategically it is Reform that is showing steady momentum and appeal, at least for many Conservatives.

This is a crucial sign in the reshaping of the Right of British politics.

It is the biggest blow yet for Farage and will help him overcome his rivals’ attitude that Reformation is a one-man band.

The Conservative Party, long the juggernaut of British politics, had already been crushed by voters and was already flowing towards Reformation like a burst pipe.

Now it has lost one of its most high-profile figures.

Inevitably, there are cries of betrayal from Robert Jenrick’s former colleagues, who now make a ritual of sledding his character.

“He was overwhelmed by Macbeth-like personal ambition,” said one shadow cabinet minister.

Jenrick said it would be a bit rich to chalk it all up to personal ambition, given he is the bookies’ favorite to be the next Conservative leader and will now be joining a party with a very prominent and successful leader.

Nigel Farage now faces a familiar criticism: given the number of defectors from the Conservative Party he has welcomed, is he really leading Conservatives 2.0 rather than a different, new, insurgent force?

He told me they were hosting a former Green councilor this week and next week they will be announcing a Labor defector.

But it is undoubtedly true that the vast majority of Reform’s recent high-profile signings have been former Conservatives.

This is a perception that the party knows it must manage wisely.

And Labor has been quick to point out various past moments when Nigel Farage was incredibly critical of Robert Jenrick.

But in short, defections and how they arise are a welcome problem for a party and much better than the alternative.

One final thought: I wonder what consequences Kemi Badenoch’s ruthlessness in ending Robert Jenrick might have in the medium and long term.

Nigel Farage says he thinks it’s 60/40 for Robert Jenrick to join his party.

60/40 isn’t much better than flipping a coin. And yet there he was. What conversations between the two men in the coming days, weeks, or even months had to be rushed within hours of Badenoch’s intervention?

So what problems could this situation create for both men in the coming months? Let’s see.