‘The Tories and Labour have forfeited the right to govern’: How Robert Jenrick planned to urge other Conservatives to follow him to Reform before he was rumbled
The Conservatives and Labor have both ‘lost their right to govern the UK’, Robert Jenrick has said in a speech he plans to make to announce his departure from Reform.
While he was introduced at a casual press conference by former immigration minister Nigel Farage, the Conservative Party published what it said were extracts from notes passed on by Kemi Badenoch, which led to him expelling her.
In them, Mr Jenrick praised Reform leader Mr Farage and said he was ‘proud to be Reform’s 281,000th member’.
The Newark MP, who was repeatedly linked to the coup after replacing Ms Badenoch as leader, said Mr Farage, who had “put party allegiances – personal ambition – aside”, was “clearly the right person” to lead the “change” the UK needs.
And urging other Conservatives to follow him, he said: ‘If, like me, you have supported another party but you know it has lost its way, don’t stay.
‘Don’t stay in a party that is not loyal to you. “When your country needs you.”
In a swipe at the former justice secretary, the Conservatives also highlighted grammatical errors in the document, which is understood to have been forwarded to Ms Badenoch yesterday.
Parts of the leak were very similar to the speech Mr Jenrick gave this afternoon.
A Conservative source suggested he was late on stage at the departing press conference because he was rewriting the script to remove the aired parts.
While the former immigration minister was introduced by Nigel Farage at a haphazard press conference, the Conservative Party published extracts from Kemi Badenoch’s passing notes, which led to him sacking her.
In them, Mr Jenrick praised Reform leader Nigel Farage and said he was ‘proud to be Reform’s 281,000th member’.
Mr Farage confirmed he would attend Mr Jenrick’s party and said he would ‘buy Kemi lunch next week and say thank you’.
“I’ve had to think very quickly about how I should respond to this and I just want to thank Kemi Badenoch, this is the last Christmas present I’ve ever received,” the Reform UK leader told a press conference in Westminster on Thursday afternoon.
‘Negotiations with Jenrick have ended. There is nothing to say or do anymore.
‘You handed me on a plate the man who is by far the most popular figure and has a 60 percent approval rating on ConHome…
‘Perhaps you have done more today than anyone in history to help realign the centre-right of British politics; This is something that is desperately needed in this country against the terrible Labor Government and the increasingly worrying far left voice.
‘So I can’t offer you a drink everywhere, but next week I’ll buy Kemi lunch and thank her.
‘And it is in this context that I welcome Robert Jenrick to this chamber and to Reform UK.’
After an awkward delay, Newark MP Mr Jenrick appeared at the press conference and said: ‘It’s time for the truth. England is in decline. Britain is in decline.’
Conservative leader Ms Badenoch previously said she was expelling Mr Jenrick from the Shadow Cabinet, removing the whip and suspending his party membership.
He said: ‘I have been presented with clear and irrefutable evidence that he was planning to sneak out in a way designed to cause as much damage as possible to his Shadow Cabinet colleagues and the wider Conservative Party.’
