Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has dramatically sacked Robert Jenrick from his role as shadow justice secretary, accusing him of orchestrating a 'secret plot' to defect from the party.
The Accusation and Immediate Fallout
The explosive move, confirmed on January 15, 2026, came after Badenoch posted a video statement online. In it, she alleged that her former leadership rival was planning to leave the Conservatives 'in a way designed to be as damaging as possible'.
Badenoch stated she had acted on 'irrefutable evidence' of the scheme, and confirmed that the Conservative whip had been withdrawn from Jenrick, effectively ejecting him from the parliamentary party.
'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.'
Links to Reform UK and Wider Unrest
The sacking comes amid significant turmoil within the Tory ranks, following the defection of former Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK just two days prior.
This morning, Farage himself confirmed that he had 'of course' held conversations with Jenrick, fuelling speculation about a potential move. The sequence of events suggests a coordinated effort to destabilise Badenoch's leadership and draw high-profile figures to the rival party.
What Happens Next for the Conservatives?
Jenrick's removal exposes deep fractures within the Conservative Party as it struggles to present a united front. The loss of a senior shadow cabinet figure and a former leadership contender in such acrimonious circumstances represents a severe blow to party discipline.
Political analysts will now be watching closely to see if Jenrick formally joins Reform UK, and whether his departure triggers further exits from the Conservative benches. The incident underscores the ongoing challenge Reform UK poses to the Tories, pulling the party's discourse and membership in a more populist direction.
For Badenoch, the decisive action demonstrates a hardline approach to disloyalty, but the very public nature of the rift risks overshadowing her policy agenda and reinforcing a public perception of Conservative infighting.
