Opponents label Jenrick a ‘chancer’ and a ‘charlatan’ as he defects to Reform – as it happend

Labour dismissses Jenrick as ‘shameless chancer’

Anna Turley, the Labour chair, has issued this statement about Robert Jenrick’s defection.

Robert Jenrick says the Tories broke Britain. Now he wants to do the same again with Farage’s Reform. He’s a shameless chancer who, like the other failed Tories who have scuttled off to Reform, are more interested in their careers than the country.

With Jenrick in tow, Reform clearly wants to deliver the same chaos and decline he did while in government.

Key events

2d ago

A summary of today’s developments

3d ago

Nick Timothy appointed shadow justice secretary, replacing Jenrick

3d ago

Labour dismissses Jenrick as ‘shameless chancer’

3d ago

Farage admits he used to think Jenrick had no convictions, but he says he has now changed his mind

3d ago

Jenrick defends lying to a journalist about not planning to defect

3d ago

Farage says his talks with Jenrick pre-defection focused on what role Jenrick would have in team

3d ago

Jenrick says he does not support some sort of electoral deal with Tories

3d ago

Jenrick explains why he won’t fight byelection having defected

3d ago

Farage says Jenrick’s defection ‘big day in realignment of genuine centre-right’ in UK

3d ago

Farage says, after May elections, Reform UK won’t accept any more defectors from Tories

3d ago

Jenrick says Tories ‘in denial’, and won’t admit Britain is broken, and they were partly to blame

3d ago

Jenrick says Sunak’s cabinet agreed small boats plan they knew would not work, and ‘some even joked about it’

3d ago

Labour and Tories ‘broke Britain’, Jenrick says

3d ago

Jenrick says both main parties are ‘rotten’

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Jenrick says Britain has been in decline for decades

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Jenrick arrives to be welcomed into Reform UK by Farage

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Farage says Jenrick is joining party – but Jenrick does not appear on stage when Farage expects

3d ago

Tories release extracts from what they say is Jenrick’s draft resignation letter

3d ago

‘It’s time for the truth’ – Jenrick breaks post-sacking silence with brief message

3d ago

Jenrick ‘expected to defect to Reform UK imminently’, report claims

3d ago

Farage claims he has not decided yet if he will acccept Jenrick as defector

3d ago

What commentators are saying about Badenoch sacking Jenrick

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Badenoch risks ‘fatal weakening’ in her position by sacking Jenrick, former Tory chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng claims

3d ago

Hollinrake says there is no way back into Tory party following his sacking for disloyalty

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Newark Tories back Badenoch’s decision to sack Jenrick, their MP

3d ago

Malcolm Offord, former Tory peer, says he won’t disclose his wealth, after being named as Reform UK’s Scottish leader

3d ago

Badenoch should publish evidence she claims to have that Jenrick about to defect, says former Tory cabinet minister

3d ago

‘This man is a fraud’ – what Farage said about Jenrick less than five months ago

3d ago

Starmer accuses Badenoch of ‘weakness’, saying Jenrick should have been sacked months ago for ‘toxic’ comments

3d ago

Labour chair says Badenoch has ‘lost control of party’ – while Labour MP praises her ‘strong leadership’ sacking Jenrick

3d ago

‘Treacherous’ Jenrick motivated to defect by ‘personal ambition’, Tory chair Kevin Hollinrake says

3d ago

Jenrick ‘completely out of his depth’ as minister, former Tory government colleague claims

3d ago

Evidence that Jenrick about to defect ‘totally irrefutable’, Tories say

3d ago

Farage claims he will announce Labour defection next week

3d ago

Farage claims Badenoch ‘panicked’, and that Reform UK was not planning to unveil Jenrick as defector later today

3d ago

Farage says ‘of course’ he has spoken to Jenrick, but Jenrick not ‘on verge’ of signing up to Reform

3d ago

Badenoch says Jenrick wanted his defection to be ‘most damaging’ to Tory party

3d ago

Kemi Badenoch sacks Robert Jenrick for ‘plotting to defect’

3d ago

Streeting ‘shocked’ police chief behind Maccabi Tel Aviv ban still in post

3d ago

Liz Kendall welcomes Elon Musk acting to stop Grok creating sexualised deepfakes, and thanks those who spoke out

3d ago

UK economy grew by better-than-expected 0.3% in November despite budget uncertainty

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Streeting welcomes second biggest monthly drop in hospital waiting lists in England in 15 years

3d ago

Steve Reed claims elections to ‘zombie councils’ pointless, as at least 22 authorities request elections delay for May

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A summary of today’s developments

Robert Jenrick made a dramatic defection to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK on Thursday after being sacked by Kemi Badenoch for plotting against her.

Jenrick had the Conservative whip removed and his party membership suspended earlier in the day, after Badenoch said she had found “irrefutable evidence” that he was planning to defect. The Tory leader appointed the West Suffolk MP Nick Timothy as shadow justice secretary after Jenrick’s sacking.

The Reform leader Nigel Farage called it the “latest Christmas present I’ve ever had” and said it was still “60/40” if Jenrick would defect until Badenoch forced his hand. However, Jenrick later admitted that he had already resolved to defect by the morning of his sacking, and that it would probably have happened in the coming days.

Jenrick said discussions had started with Reform in September, understood to have been facilitated by the former Tory adviser Tim Montgomerie, who joined Farage’s party in December 2024. He also confirmed that he would not call a byelection in his Newark constituency. But Jenrick added that there had not been discussions about a defection, but about the state of the country.

Farage said that after the 7 May local elections there would be no more Tory defections, and Reform would reject more seeking to join. He said Jenrick was “in sackcloth and ashes” about decisions made during his time in the Tory government. Anna Turley, the Labour chair, said: “Robert Jenrick says the Tories broke Britain. Now he wants to do the same again with Farage’s Reform. He’s a shameless chancer who, like the other failed Tories who have scuttled off to Reform, are more interested in their careers than the country.”

The multimillionaire financier who has been made leader of Reform UK in Scotland has refused to say how wealthy he is, claiming that is a private matter. Malcolm Offord, formerly a Conservative party life peer, was unveiled by Reform’s leader Nigel Farage as the party’s first Scottish leader, 10 weeks before a Scottish parliament election where Reform is expected to win up to 18 seats.

A Liverpool Labour MP has called for further changes to the proposed Hillsborough Law amid concerns that it leaves loopholes in applying the duty of candour to the intelligence services.

Amendments proposed by the government on Wednesday brought spies within the scope of the legislation, subject to the approval of the head of their service.

But campaigners have said this would allow the heads of the security services to decide whether to disclose information.

Ian Byrne, the Liverpool West Derby MP, posted on X: “I cannot, in all good conscience, support any amendments that abandon the Manchester Arena bombing families, nuclear test veterans, or the Chinook disaster families.

“I made a commitment to deliver the Hillsborough Law… without exemptions, without loopholes and without carve-outs.

“The government made this promise in its manifesto. If the government’s amendments are passed then the legislation, in its current form, is not that.”

Byrne has tabled several amendments of his own so the duty of candour would apply not only to intelligence organisations but also to people who work for them.

Updated at 23.18 CET

On the manner of Robert Jenrick’s defection to Reform, one unnamed shadow cabinet minister told the BBC that Jenrick left a printed copy of his resignation speech lying around, “like something from The Thick Of It”.

A senior Conservative MP close to Kemi Badenoch said they had got hold of a “full speech and media plan” for his defection, and another Conservative source talking about “material” that was left “lying around”.

Updated at 22.37 CET

Tory MP David Davis said Robert Jenrick “should stop blaming others for the state of the country” and is “as responsible as anyone else”.

The former Brexit secretary wrote on X: “It’s entirely up to Robert Jenrick what he does next with his career. But he should stop blaming others for the state of the country.”

He added: “After serving as Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Minister of State for Health and Minister of State for Immigration, he is as responsible as anyone else.

“Particularly considering that he chose to walk out of government after not being promoted by Rishi Sunak, he now attacks from the sidelines the colleagues he abandoned,” Davis said.

“Unlike him, some of his colleagues chose not to serve in governments that were doing the wrong thing.”

ShareJessica Elgot

Robert Jenrick made a dramatic defection to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK on Thursday, declaring the Conservatives “rotten” and a “failed” party, after being sacked by Kemi Badenoch for plotting against her.

In a high-stakes day for the future of the British right, Jenrick became the most senior Tory to switch allegiance to Reform, launching into a fiery and personal denunciation of his former colleagues in the shadow cabinet.

The defection of Jenrick deepens the schism on the right of politics as Badenoch struggles to keep the Conservatives together in the face of a string of high-profile moves to Reform.

SharePippa Crerar

Four days before Robert Jenrick was kicked out of the Tories for planning to defect to Reform UK, he spoke “at length” with Kemi Badenoch on the phone about party strategy. The week before he had sat through a shadow cabinet awayday taking copious notes.

While the Tory leader had been aware for some time of speculation over her shadow justice secretary’s future, she had no hard proof of his plans, so it was business as usual. That all changed just 24 hours after their one-to-one conversation.

Kiran Stacey

With Robert Jenrick’s defection, the total number of current or former Conservative parliamentarians to join Reform rises to 18. Some of the best known are likely to be prominent voices for Nigel Farage’s party in the run-up to the next election.

There are others within the Conservative party thought to have considered their position in recent months. But Farage has claimed that the value of such additions to his ranks was dropping – and said he would accept no further defectors from the Tories after the May elections, arguing that by then his party’s strength would be so clear that they would have little to add.

Here are some of the most prominent figures on both sides of that divide.

ShareRowena Mason

For a long time, Robert Jenrick’s transformation from a David Cameron-supporting remainer to an anti-immigration rightwinger did not convince many of his political peers – least of all Nigel Farage.

Only last year, the Reform UK leader was describing him as a “fraud” and saying he was sceptical that Jenrick was genuine, dubbing him “Robert the Generic, Robert the Remainer and Robert the I Don’t Stand Particularly for Anything at all”.

“There are people in politics who are there through conviction and there are people in politics who are there because they want to reach rank, position and all that comes with that,” he said at the time.

“I’m really still not sure about Jenrick, to be honest with you, I’m really not sure.”

Now, the verdicts of some of Jenrick’s Tory colleagues on his political behaviour are similarly damning and centre on his unbridled ambitions.

One said Jenrick “does not have a truly rightwing bone in his body” but merely goes whichever way the political wind is blowing to serve his own career.

At least 18 local authorities have asked to delay elections due this year amid a government reorganisation drive, according to administrators.

District and county council ballots across England scheduled for May are set to be pushed back as officials seek to deliver structural changes as part of a shake-up to local government.

Data compiled by the Association of Electoral Administrators (AEA) suggests 16 district councils have requested a postponement of their elections.

In addition, East Sussex and West Sussex county councils have each requested a postponement of their elections, which are administered by 12 district councils on behalf of the county councils.

Others were yet to make a decision on whether to ask for a postponement ahead of the request deadline at midnight on Thursday.

Updated at 20.16 CET

Kemi Badenoch said she felt more “surprised” than betrayed by evidence of Robert Jenrick’s plans to defect.

The Tory leader told Sky News: “I was actually quite surprised, beyond the sadness, just how dispassionate it was.

“I’ve got to the point where I’m really worried about the people in the party whose lives and careers I have responsibility for. The people who don’t want to be in the party can go.”

ShareBen Quinn

Like other Conservative recruits to Reform UK, Robert Jenrick’s defection has come with no shortage of lacerating past comments about Nigel Farage and his other new colleagues.

When Nadhim Zahawi defected to Reform on Monday, Conservative headquarters were quick to unload the former chancellor’s previous comments about Farage on to social media.

In the case of Jenrick, below is just some of the ammunition they have been drawing on once again.

ShareAndrew Sparrow

In his speech Robert Jenrick attacked the Conservative party’s record on net zero, and singled out Mel Stride and Priti Patel for specific criticism. (See 5.01pm.)

Tory HQ have been going through his former tweets, and have highlighted these ones to journalists as new examples of his inconsistency.

From 2019

⭐️The UK is first advanced economy in the world to pass a net zero target.

⭐️We’re committed to phasing out unabated coal power by 2025.

⭐️We’ve reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 25% since 2010. #LeadersDebate #BackBoris

— Robert Jenrick (@RobertJenrick) November 19, 2019

From 2024

Mel has showcased the best of the Conservative Party.

As Work and Pensions Secretary, Mel enacted reforms that made our welfare system fairer and meant we could cut taxes responsibly.

In opposition we must reclaim our reputation for fiscal responsibility which has inspired the… https://t.co/2IVQTB0Oxi

— Robert Jenrick (@RobertJenrick) September 11, 2024

From 2024

My friend @pritipatel is a relentless champion for Conservatism whose experience will be invaluable as we rebuild.

Her campaign means the case for party reform is now unarguable.

We must democratise the party, empower members and grow our membership. https://t.co/xlydSYfhaM

— Robert Jenrick (@RobertJenrick) September 4, 2024

That is all from me for today. Nadeem Badshah is now taking over.

In the latest edition of the Guardian’s Today in Focus podcast, Lucy Hough talks to Archie Bland about the Robert Jenrick defection.

The Best for Britain campaign has launched a tracker keeping a tally of former Tories who have joined Reform UK. As well as former MPs, it includes councillors, donors, and candidates. So far there are 112 names on the list.

Nick Timothy appointed shadow justice secretary, replacing Jenrick

Kemi Badenoch has appointed Nick Timothy as the new shadow justice secretary. In an announcement on social media, she said:

Delighted to announce that @NJ_Timothy is the new Shadow Justice Secretary.

As an MP, Nick has led the way in revealing the failure of West Midlands Police Chief over the Maccabi football ban, and in opposing Labour’s sinister Islamophobia definition.

He is a true Conservative, brings a wealth of experience, and is a formidable campaigner.

Nick will be a massive asset to the Shadow Cabinet team as we continue to develop our plans for a stronger economy, stronger borders and a stronger country.

In his response, Timothy said:

Thank you, Kemi, for putting your trust in me.

It will be an honour to serve, and I can’t wait to get started.

Sorting our human rights laws and fixing our courts and prisons are huge jobs.

But first, we will fight Labour’s plans to curb jury trials.

Timothy worked as an adviser for Theresa May when she was home secretary, and then her co-chief of staff when she became prime minister. But he left after the 2017 general election because he was the principal author of the election manifesto that is credited for the Tories losing their majority – it included plans for social care reform that was dismissed by opponents as a “dementia tax”. He also wrote May’s 2016 party conference Brexit speech that committed to the UK to a hard Brexit without the cabinet’s agreement, or – according to some accounts – May even being fully aware for the significance of what she was saying.

Updated at 19.19 CET

And the Lib Dem verdict on Robert Jenrick is much the same as Labour’s. (See 5.52pm.) Daisy Cooper, the Lib Dem deputy leader, said:

This was a conman introducing a charlatan. Robert Jenrick has an industrial-grade brass neck to be complaining about how broken Britain is, when it was him and his Conservative cronies who did such damage to our country and to trust and faith in politics.