Sacked top Tory joins Farage's Reform party

ROBERT Jenrick has defected to Reform UK after being sacked from the Tory frontbench by Kemi Badenoch because of "irrefutable evidence that he was plotting" to jump ship in a "damaging" way.

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Reform leader Nigel Farage said he would "buy Kemi lunch next week and say thank you", as he confirmed Mr Jenrick was joining his party.

"I've had to think very quickly as to how I should respond to this, and I just want to say thank you to Kemi Badenoch, this is the latest Christmas present I've ever had," the Reform UK leader told a Westminster press conference yesterday.

"The negotiations with Jenrick are over. There's nothing more to be said or to be done.

"You've handed me on a plate the man that is by far the most popular figure, 60% approval rating on ConHome...