Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has sacked Robert Jenrick:
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… pic.twitter.com/zoSzFp0cKq
— Kemi Badenoch (@KemiBadenoch) January 15, 2026
While this is unsurprising for anyone who has followed Jenrick, it’s certainly very dramatic.
Gone
In the video above, Badenoch says:
This morning, I removed the Conservative whip from Robert Jenrick after dismissing him from the Shadow Cabinet. I was very sorry to be presented with clear, irrefutable evidence, not just that he was preparing to defect, but he was planning to do so in the most damaging way possible to the Conservative Party and his Shadow Cabinet colleagues.
It is my responsibility to protect our party, and faced with that information I took the only decision that any responsible leader could.
… the British public are tired of political psychodrama. So am I. They saw too much of it in the last government. They’ve seen too much of it in this government. I will not repeat those mistakes.
When I was elected leader, I committed to doing politics differently. Disloyalty and dishonesty undermine trust in politics. They’re also disrespectful to our party members, our councillors, MPs and most of all, voters. You all deserve better.
Conservatives suffered a heavy defeat in 2024. That was painful, but we are rebuilding with strong principles, clear plans, and with a serious team united around a shared purpose. When individuals choose to walk away from that effort for personal ambition, that tells you nothing about the Conservative Party, and everything you need to know about them.
There will be more to say, and I know there’s a lot of commentary about this decision, but I want you all to be in no doubt. It’s a time of global uncertainty. I am focused on holding the government to account, ensuring they are acting in the national interest, and that Conservatives deliver a proper plan for a stronger economy, stronger borders, and a stronger Britain.
Jenrick famously lost to Badenoch in the leadership race. Since then, he’s been doing what can only be described as far right TikTok politics to garner attention. Badenoch, meanwhile, was a minister in the failed Tory government that crashed out in 2024. Neither of them are fit to deliver anything besides austerity and managed decline.
Reform
Given the timing, the assumption is that Jenrick is joining Reform. Reform announced multiple Tory defections this week, which has prompted dissatisfaction in the party’s ranks, with many complaining they don’t want to be the ‘Tories 2.0’.
WATCH: Nigel Farage reacts to Robert Jenrick being sacked and confirms he’s had conversations with him and other senior Tories recently pic.twitter.com/9BZig1UqU9
— Politics UK (@PolitlcsUK) January 15, 2026
– Farage and Jenrick spotted having dinner last month
– Conversations with Jenrick allies that were leaked to CCHQ
– Jenrick’s team allegedly left a copy of his “near final” resignation speech “lying around”
– Jenrick cancelled a speaking engagement this weekend, and the belief was he would announce his defection in the next 24 hours
Farage has admitted to having conversations with Jenrick, but he denies that the deal was done:
I have had conversations with a number of very senior conservatives over the course of the last week, the last month. A lot of them realise that for all the talk on May 8th the Conservative Party will cease to be a national party.
They will be obliterated in Scotland, Wales, the red wall councils. As far as Mr Jenrick is concerned of course I have talked to Robert Jenrick. Was I on the verge of signing him up? No. But we have had conversations.
Potentially this means Badenoch is lying, and that she decided to push Jenrick before he could jump. It could also mean Farage is lying, and that he just wants to cause trouble.
Regardless of who’s telling the truth, however, one thing is clear; the shit has well and truly been stirred.
Featured image via Terry Ott (Wikipedia)
By Willem Moore
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