'Enough already!' Tory influx bothers Reform's rank and file

If Reform UK was officially celebrating Robert Jenrick’s defection to Nigel Farage’s party, the reaction of the rank and file was altogether more complicated - ranging from joy to despair over yetanother Tory recruit.

- Ben Quinn Political correspondent

“Enough already! Reform UK please take note, youare going to lose members and votersif you don’t cap this craziness ... we don’t wanta Tory party Pt II,” was the early response from James Scott, one of a number ofmembers expressing unhappiness on one of the largest private Reform groups on Facebook.

After the Conservative leader, Kemi Badenoch, broke the news that she was sacking her long-term rival from the frontbench and taking away the party whip over his “plotting”, another Reform member commented: “Don’t do it, Nigel. If Jenrick joins Reform, I’m done - Iam a member of the party but will leave immediately”

Yet Reform members who were hostile to Jenrick appeared to be in the minority, with most contributors to this and other groups cheered by the prospect of Reform chalking up its most senior Tory convert yet.