Robert Jenrick sacked newest: Kemi Badenoch kicks out Tory rival for ‘secret plot to defect’ to Reform | EUROtoday

A Conservative Party supply advised the Press Association there was “totally irrefutable” proof that Robert Jenrick was planning to defect to Reform UK.

The Tory supply mentioned: “We have had lots of reports coming in that he was meeting with Reform. He went for dinner with Nigel Farage last month, he had been speaking to people within Westminster about the possibility of a defection.

“His team has spoken to various people, including journalists, about defection.

“Kemi doesn’t take decisions lightly, she thinks about these things, she analyses things properly. But the evidence was just totally irrefutable that this was going to be done to inflict maximum pain on the party.”

The supply wouldn’t say once they anticipated the defection could be introduced, however steered it was “going to be very soon”.

Tory chief whip Rebecca Harris knowledgeable Mr Jenrick he had been sacked and had the whip and his Conservative Party membership suspended, the supply mentioned.

Kemi Badenoch has sacked Robert Jenrick for allegedly secretly plotting to defect.

The Conservative Party got here to this conclusion after compiling “irrefutable” proof that he was planning the transfer.

Evidence included a dinner between Mr Jenrick and Nigel Farage in December, based on The Telegraph.

“We’d known for a while that he was starting to get closer to Reform,” a senior social gathering supply advised the paper.

“He had dinner with Nigel last month, he’d discussed defecting with allies and that had got back to CCHQ”.

Nigel Farage mentioned he’ll name Robert Jenrick on Thursday afternoon after Kemi Badenoch sacked him from her entrance bench and suspended his Tory membership.

“I’ll give him a ring this afternoon,” the Reform UK chief advised reporters at a press convention in Edinburgh.

He added: “I might even buy him a pint.”

As we’ve been reporting, the information that Robert Jenrick has been sacked for plotting to defect got here on the similar time Nigel Farage started a press convention in Fife.

The occasion was purported to deal with the social gathering unveiling its chief for Scotland, however questions are being dominated by the breaking information.

Asked whether or not he had deliberate to announce Mr Jenrick’s defection at one other deliberate press convention at the moment, the Reform UK chief advised reporters: “I can confirm, hand on heart, honestly, look you in the eye, I was not going to be unveiling Robert Jenrick at 4.30pm this afternoon.”

Kemi Badenoch mentioned she was introduced with “clear, irrefutable evidence” that Robert Jenrick was “plotting in secret” to defect from the Conservative Party.

In a video uploaded to X, the Tory chief mentioned she had proof he was searching for to defect in “a way designed to be as damaging as possible to his Shadow Cabinet colleagues and the wider Conservative Party”.

Reacting to Kemi Badenoch’s announcement she has sacked Robert Jenrick from her entrance bench, Reform UK chief Nigel Farage mentioned: “I’m very surprised that this news is broken.”

Asked if he had been chatting with Mr Jenrick, the Reform chief mentioned: “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 once more about whether or not he had spoken to the now ex-shadow justice secretary, Mr Farage mentioned: “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 requested once more if Mr Jenrick had been contemplating leaving the Tories for Reform, and mentioned: “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.”

Tory chief Kemi Badenoch mentioned she has sacked shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick as a consequence of “irrefutable evidence that he was plotting in secret to defect” from the party.

Alongside it, she tweeted : “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. “