The political landscape was rocked this week as former Conservative minister Robert Jenrick crossed the floor to join Nigel Farage's Reform UK. This move, however, has been overshadowed by the immediate resurfacing of years of remarkably personal and acrimonious attacks the two men have levelled at each other.
Jenrick's switch follows a pattern seen with other Tory defectors to Reform, where a treasure trove of past social media criticism and public statements quickly emerges to embarrass the new political allies. The Conservative Party headquarters wasted no time in highlighting Jenrick's previous barbs aimed directly at his new leader.
A Catalogue of Mutual Contempt
The archive of insults is extensive. In March 2025, Jenrick took a swipe on Facebook, contrasting his own work on sentencing rules with Farage "swanning off to Cheltenham to forget his troubles." Two months later, in May 2025, he insinuated that a Farage policy might have been conceived "after one too many pints" or with "a joint" finding its way into his cigarettes.
The animosity peaked in the summer of 2025. After Jenrick joined protesters at an Essex asylum seeker hotel, Farage branded him a "fraud" on social media, citing his record as immigration minister. Jenrick fired back on X, reposting a picture of Farage with a sarcastic offer of a lift.
The 'Mask Has Slipped' Antisemitism Row
Perhaps the most damaging past incident involved Reform itself. In July 2025, Jenrick launched a fierce attack on the party's chair, Zia Yusuf, after an antisemitic tweet was liked by Yusuf's account. Yusuf claimed the like was an accident by "one of the team."
Jenrick dismissed this, stating "I call bullshit" and declaring "the mask has slipped." He accused Reform of thinking the public were "thick" and demanded Yusuf be given "the boot." This direct confrontation with Reform's senior leadership makes his subsequent defection all the more striking.
Nicknames and Policy Attacks
Farage's criticism was equally personal and sustained. He frequently used the Trumpian nickname "Robert Generic" to lambast Jenrick, a dig at his perceived lack of conviction, particularly over his original opposition to Brexit.
At a Reform press conference in August 2025, Farage attacked Jenrick's ministerial record, claiming "When Robert Jenrick was immigration minister he grew the number of illegal migrants living in free hotels to 56,000. He is no friend of Epping." This direct appeal to Jenrick's constituents highlighted the deeply local and personal nature of their feud.
The defection therefore sets the stage for a profoundly awkward political marriage. Both men must now find a way to work together despite a documented history of questioning each other's integrity, competence, and motives. The success of this new alliance will depend on their ability to bury a very public hatchet.
