County without a single Tory MP as Jenrick jumps ship to Reform

DEFECTION CONFIRMED WITH SPEECH ON UK'S 'DECLINE'

- By OLIVER PRIDMORE

Former Conservative MP Robert Jenrick speaks during a press conference yesterday announcing his defection to Reform UK

(CARL COURT/GETTY IMAGES)

ROBERT Jenrick has officially confirmed that he is joining Nigel Farage's Reform UK in a move that leaves Nottinghamshire without a single Conservative MP for the first time in more than 50 years.

The Newark MP said at a press conference organised by Reform yesterday: "Britain has been in decline. Britain is in decline.

"From 1970 to 2007, real wages went down by one third every 10 years. Since then, they've flatlined."

Mr Jenrick also went on to describe parts of Britain's economy as being "closer to Bulgaria, said "terrorists" had "broken into Britain on small boats" and said many communities in Britain were now "totally unrecognisable" after a "profound" change in the population.

Of his role as Newark MP, Mr Jenrick said: "My constituents in Newark feel this decline every day. It's a great historic town.

"It is the honour of my life to represent it and to represent them in Parliament. They are the best of our country."

It marks only the second time in the Conservative Party's history that it has been without a single representative for the whole of Nottinghamshire in Parliament.