Senior Tory defects to Reform

A senior politician from the UK’s main opposition Conservative party, Robert Jenrick, joined the hard-right Reform UK party on Thursday, its leader Nigel Farage said.

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Former Conservative Party member Robert Jenrick shakes hands with Reform UK leader Nigel Farage at a press conference in London on Thursday.

(REUTERS)

The announcement came just hours after the high-profile Jenrick was sacked by Tory leader Kemi Badenoch for “plotting” to defect to Reform.

Reform UK has been leading by double-digit figures in the polls for the past year as Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour government comes under fire over immigration, economic growth and the cost of living crisis.

Ms Badenoch said she had fired Mr Jenrick, her justice spokesman, as she had “irrefutable evidence” he had been conspiring to defect to Reform “in a way designed to be as damaging as possible” to the Conservatives.