Overview
- Robert Jenrick has joined Reform UK and publicly backed Nigel Farage, adopting the message that Britain is “broken.”
- Kemi Badenoch suspended and sacked Jenrick before his announcement, later calling him “not a team player” and saying he is now Farage’s problem.
- Nigel Farage has set May 7 as the deadline for any further Conservative defections and urged MPs to move before local and devolved elections, while Reform figures hint at more switches as a claim rather than a confirmed plan.
- The Mail on Sunday reports it obtained a Jenrick “media plan” that cast him as “the new sheriff in town,” documents that sources say reached Badenoch ahead of his move.
- Some Conservatives publicly deny plans to jump, with Gareth Bacon saying there is “zero chance” he will defect, as commentary questions whether Reform’s surge—especially in Scotland—reflects lasting realignment or a short-term boost.