Tories launch fresh attack on Robert Jenrick as Reform vow to win | Politics | News

Reform The Tories have launched fresh attacks against Robert Jenrick’s departure as senior figures in the UK face questions about the bombshell move.

Reform’s Zia Yusuf, who has repeatedly criticized the former immigration secretary’s record in Government, said Mr Jenrick was “open-minded about all the different ways the Conservatives have betrayed this country”.

Mr Yusuf revealed that Reform UK leader Mr Farage had decided what role Mr Jenrick would play “now”.

But the Conservatives took advantage of Mr Jenrick’s leaked media plan to warn of a “bar full of egos”, saying the former senior Tory leader should position himself as the ‘new sheriff in town’.

Deputy Leader Richard Tice sidestepped questions about whether Mr Jenrick would be an effective Chancellor, with senior figures claiming Mr Yusuf “didn’t even dare welcome” the party’s latest MP.

Conservative Chairman Kevin Hollinrake MP said: “It looks like the new sheriff is not welcome in Reform town – or maybe Reform town just isn’t big enough for all the Chancellor wannabes.

“Zia Yusuf doesn’t even dare to invite Jenrick to the party and Richard Tice doesn’t even support Robert Jenrick as a credible chancellor and they are already discussing how much more they should spend on welfare.

“Voters want a serious team with a clear plan and strong leadership with a backbone, not a hall full of egos.”

But Reform’s policy chief also declared there was “no room in this country for two centre-right parties” as the fight for the keys to Downing Street intensifies.

Asked whether he was involved in the negotiations, Mr Yusuf told Trevor Phillips on Sky News on Sunday Morning: “Look, the big thing about Robert coming to Reform was that I had dinner with him on Thursday night, obviously the day he ran away, so my assessment is that this man is thoughtful, he’s clear-eyed about all the different ways the Tories have betrayed this country, and he wants to help Nigel, he wants to help me, he wants to help Richard and everyone at Reform to repair that damage.”

“I also think it’s very clear that his coming to Reform increases our chances of winning the next general election, and I think that’s a really important milestone for us to be able to do that, to be able to turn the country around.”

On Kemi Badenoch’s comments that Reform was “taking out the garbage for itself” he added: “If Kemi Badenoch focuses on taking out the garbage there will be nothing left of CCHQ or the parliamentary party.”

Asked what role Mr Jenrick would take on within Reform, Mr Yusuf said: “That will be a decision for Nigel to make. I think he’s making those decisions at the moment.”

Mr Yusuf, who refused to be briefed on who might leave Labor next week, said he had rejected Reform’s attempt to join the Conservative Party.

Asked whether his ultimate aim was to destroy the Conservative Party or join it in some way, he told Sky News on Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips: “The truth is there is no room for two centre-right parties in this country, it’s just not in our electoral system.

“So I’m afraid we’re going to have to change the Conservative Party… you know, you can call it whatever you want, you can destroy it, you can replace it. But we’re not going to make a deal with the Conservative Party.

“And I think, again, having Robert Jenrick join us and say the things he did, condemned the entire Tory shadow cabinet. There’s no room for two centre-right parties. And anyone who follows that programme, who wants really secure borders and a sensible centre-right economy, needs to get behind Reform.”

Mr Jenrick dramatically defected to Reform UK after being sacked by Kemi Badenoch when the fight for the right wing of British politics turned into open warfare.

Mr Jenrick launched scathing attacks on his former Tory colleagues as he joined his new boss at a press conference in London.

The former immigration minister said the Conservative party was “rotten” and called on more MPs to jump ship.

In a scathing attack on the party, which he said had “failed so badly”, Mr Jenrick said the Conservatives were “not sorry” about the “mistakes” made in government.

But on Sunday Ms Badenoch accused Mr Jenrick of delivering a “narrow, introspective and performative” departure speech that made no mention of foreign affairs.

Ms Badenoch said: “Getting Britain working again means fixing our economy and fixing our country, which means putting our national interests first and rebuilding our defences.

“Otherwise we will be poodles when the US annexes Greenland and face tariffs for not showing any force.”

He added that the speech “contained nothing about Russia’s war in Europe, nothing about China’s growing economic and security influence, and nothing about Iran, North Korea, cyber warfare, artificial intelligence, or the erosion of the rules-based order.”

Ms Badenoch added: “Reform presents itself as rebellious and anti-establishment, but shows no serious interest in national security whatsoever.

“It’s not just that their leaders in Wales take bribes from Russia, it’s that they’re afraid to talk seriously about enemy states, alliances, defence, intelligence or economic security, and when they’re not afraid they don’t know what to say.”

Ms Badenoch said Mr Jenrick had been planning to escape for several weeks.

“There had been rumors and indications for a long time, but nothing that met the standard of proof. I deliberately gave him the benefit of the doubt,” he says. “If I had acted before, people would have accused me of insecurity or of trying to destroy my opponent. I wanted to be absolutely sure before I acted, to be bomb-proof. That’s how I operate. That’s how I operate.”

“I wasn’t angry because I wasn’t surprised. I was hearing a lot about it. Some people said I should have offered him a shadow chancellorship. I never offered him a shadow chancellorship. I asked him if he wanted a move and he said no.”

“When I first formed the shadow cabinet he wanted everyone’s job. Now I feel I was right because no matter what he got he would have done it anyway – because the only job he wanted was mine and I’m the leader. That’s the truth. It’s always sad when someone leaves the party, but for most of us it’s actually been a relief.”

“There’s no universe where he can beat me, so he chose to leave and continue his nonsense elsewhere.”