Kemi Badenoch has removed Robert Jenrick as the Conservatives' justice spokesperson and suspended his membership after alleging he plotted a damaging defection. Nigel Farage acknowledged talks with Jenrick but did not confirm any switch to Reform UK. The move intensifies pressure on the Conservatives, squeezed between Labour and the rising Reform UK, as the party still recovers from a heavy 2024 election defeat.
Badenoch Ousts Top Rival After Alleged Defection Plot, Deepening Tory Turmoil
Kemi Badenoch with Robert Jenrick before being announced as the new Conservative Party leader following the vote by party members at 8 Northumberland Avenue in central London, Nov. 3, 2024. (Stefan Rousseau/PA via AP)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Britain's Conservative Party was plunged into fresh internal turmoil Thursday after leader Kemi Badenoch dismissed the party's justice spokesperson, Robert Jenrick, saying she had uncovered "irrefutable evidence" he was secretly plotting a damaging defection.
In a video message and a statement posted on X, Badenoch said she had expelled Jenrick from the Conservative parliamentary group and suspended his party membership. She accused him of planning his actions "in secret" and insisted the party must avoid the "political psychodrama" that she said had plagued recent years.
"The British public are tired of political psychodrama and so am I," Badenoch said. "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."
Badenoch did not identify which party Jenrick was allegedly planning to join. Nigel Farage, leader of the right-wing Reform UK party, acknowledged he had "of course" spoken with Jenrick but stopped short of confirming any defection, telling reporters in Edinburgh that he would "give him a ring this afternoon" and quipping he might "even buy him a pint." Over the past year several Conservatives — including former ministers — have defected to Reform UK.
Pressure From Both Sides
The Conservatives now face pressure on two fronts: the centre-left Labour government led by Keir Starmer and the rising right-wing challenge from Reform UK. Reform, which currently has only a handful of MPs, is widely expected to make gains in a series of May elections — including contests for the Scottish and Welsh parliaments — potentially at the expense of both Labour and the Conservatives.
Reform Party leader Nigel Farage addresses protesters outside the Iranian embassy, in London, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026. (Yui Mok/PA via AP)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Jenrick, who remained a subject of leadership speculation after losing in 2024, has been seen as more open than Badenoch to negotiations with Reform aimed at uniting the right ahead of the next general election, which must be held by 2029. He had not publicly responded to his dismissal at the time of reporting.
Starmer questioned why Badenoch had waited so long to act given the ongoing rumours about Jenrick's intentions. The episode highlights ongoing instability inside the Conservative Party, which has cycled through multiple leaders in recent years.
Badenoch's Direction And Party Fortunes
Badenoch has repositioned the party to the right on several issues, promoting a small-state, low-tax agenda and backing hardline immigration measures, including a pledge to deport 150,000 unauthorized migrants a year. Her early tenure has at times produced weak poll numbers and uneven parliamentary performances, although recent showings — particularly during weekly exchanges with Starmer — have bolstered her leadership standing.
The Conservatives suffered a crushing defeat in the July 2024 general election, losing roughly two-thirds of their MPs — their worst result since the party's modern founding nearly 200 years ago — and the party continues to grapple with rebuilding and internal division.
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