Newslinks for Friday 16th January 2026

Sacked Robert Jenrick defects to Reform

1) Badenoch sacks Jenrick for secret plotting

“Reform recruit Robert Jenrick last night launched a spectacular attack on his former Tory pals after he was sacked for treachery. In the most dynamite defection to Nigel Farage’s party yet, the Shadow Justice Secretary jumped ship after he was caught by party leader Kemi Badenoch, who swiftly fired him yesterday morning. Extracts of his resignation speech had been left “lying around” before being found and passed to Conservative high command — with Tory sources saying it was by a mole in Mr Jenrick’s team. A source close to Mr Jenrick, 44, confirmed a junior aide had been identified as a suspect. The blunder then saw him bring forward his long-planned plot to join Reform UK. The Lib Dems mocked him up as a player in BBC1’s The Traitors. And Ms Badenoch lashed out: “He’s Nigel Farage’s problem now. “It is not a blow to lose someone who lies to his colleagues. This has been a good day . . . bad people are leaving my party.” Mr Jenrick hit back in a speech savaging his former Tory leadership rival and old colleagues… Tory MPs rallied round Ms Badenoch and praised her decisive sacking of Mr Jenrick. On a two-day trip to Scotland, she mixed a cocktail at the Johnnie Walker Experience in Edinburgh. Asked if she was expecting any more defections, she said: “It doesn’t really matter”, adding: “If people are leaving when we are on the up, it’s because they don’t belong in the Conservative Party.”” – The Sun

• The story of Robert Jenrick’s sacking — secrets, lies and a well-placed mole – The Times
• The smoking gun that led to Jenrick’s sacking – Daily Telegraph
• Barbs and a betrayal as Jenrick joins Reform after Badenoch gives him boot – The Guardian
• Ambush of Robert Jenrick opens new front in war with Reform – The Times
• Our economy’s moribund, borders are broken, armed forces depleted and the PM’s an ocean-going Socialist dud. So as Jenrick’s defection rocks the Right, our message to Reform and the Tories: Stop fighting each other – and end the Labour nightmare – Daily Mail
• Robert Jenrick defection plot exposed after ‘resignation speech left lying around’ – Daily Express

Comment:

• With a glint in her eye, Kemi pounced on the Great Xerox Bungle and assassinated her ex-leadership rival – Quentin Letts, Daily Mail
• Sacking of Robert Jenrick was both courageous and justified – The Times View
• Forget about Tory-Reform pacts. This is now a fight to the death – David Frost, Daily Telegraph
• Jenrick has proved he’s a morally vacant coward you can’t trust with power… while Kemi’s shown an unflappable core of steel – Sarah Vine, Daily Mail
• Badenoch showed genuine leadership by sacking Jenrick – but repercussions of the drama will only become clear over time – The Sun Says

> Today:

> Yesterday:

2) Jenrick makes his official defection to Reform UK

“Robert Jenrick declared that the Conservative Party “broke Britain” in a highly personal attack on former colleagues as he defected to Reform UK. Speaking at a press conference alongside Nigel Farage, the Reform leader, on Thursday, Mr Jenrick called his former party “rotten”, “dishonest” and “no longer fit for purpose”. Arguing that the Tories lacked the “backbone” to solve the country’s problems, the former shadow justice secretary criticised Sir Mel Stride, the shadow chancellor, for overseeing an “explosion of the welfare bill” and Dame Priti Patel, the shadow foreign secretary, for enabling “five million migrants to come” to Britain. Writing for The Telegraph, Mr Jenrick also singled out Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative Party leader, saying her team was not “willing to change”. His shock departure will raise fears in Tory circles of more defections to come and strengthen Mr Farage’s claim that Reform, leading in the opinion polls, is now the main political force on the Right. Mr Jenrick joined Reform hours after Mrs Badenoch had sacked him and kicked him out of the Conservative Party, saying she was presented with “clear, irrefutable evidence” that he was conspiring to jump ship.” – Daily Telegraph

• Robert Jenrick sacked by Kemi Badenoch and joins Reform UK – The Times
• ‘The mask has slipped’: What have Jenrick and Farage said about each other in the past? – The Guardian
• Jenrick says Farage ‘couldn’t run a five-a-side team’ in leaked audio – Daily Telegraph
• Robert Jenrick was the bridge for a Tory-Reform pact – any hope of uniting the Right is harder now it has been kicked away. His defection leaves Labour with the most to celebrate… – Daily Mail
• What next for Tories and Reform after Robert Jenrick’s sacking? – The Times
• Reform PM or anonymity: What’s next for Robert Jenrick – The i

Comment:

• I’ve joined Reform, and you should too – Robert Jenrick, Daily Telegraph
• Dining with his Tory colleagues last week, Robert Jenrick must have felt like Judas at the Last Supper – Andrew Pierce, Daily Mail
• Even Nigel looked nervous when his star signing failed to show – Tim Stanley, Daily Telegraph
• Jenrick and Farage’s shock alliance has finally brought what many voters have long hoped for… the uniting of the Right – Julia Hartley-Brewer, The Sun
• Advantage Nigel Farage as the right realigns – Patrick Maguire, The Times
• Farage will never trust Jenrick. Reform’s civil war has begun – Kwasi Kwarteng, The i

> Yesterday:

Police commissioner in Israeli fan row offered mosque ‘blank cheque’

“The elected police chief at the centre of the Israeli football ban row has been accused of offering to give a controversial mosque the equivalent of a “blank cheque” to apply for public funding. Simon Foster, the West Midlands police and crime commissioner, wrote that he would be “very happy” to provide Green Lane mosque with a generic letter of support that would allow it to apply for future, unspecified public grants. Internal documents reveal that in January 2023 Foster also praised the “impressive range of work” at Green Lane, which has a history of antisemitic and misogynistic speakers. Last night he said he supported the charity for a specific grant but ultimately did not issue the wider letter. The previous year a senior figure at the mosque sat on the appointment panel for Craig Guildford, the West Midlands chief constable who is fighting for his job after a review found that “exaggerated and untrue” evidence was used to justify the Maccabi Tel Aviv ban. Guildford has refused to resign despite Shabana Mahmood, the home secretary, announcing that she had lost confidence in him. Foster, a supporter of Jeremy Corbyn, is the only person with the power to sack Guildford but has not done so, saying he wants to “follow the process”.” – The Times

• Officers gagged from speaking about West Midlands police chief – The Times
• West Midlands chief constable may face investigation by police watchdog – The Guardian
• No 10 ‘no longer has confidence’ in West Midlands Police boss as pressure builds to resign – BBC News
• West Midlands Police Chief who clung on to his job amid anti-Semitism row expected to resign today – Daily Mail
• Maccabi crime commissioner linked to anti-Israel activists – Daily Telegraph
• The trouble with West Midlands Police – The Economist

Comment:

• Identity politics is keeping the disgraced Maccabi chief constable in office – John Power, Daily Telegraph

News in brief:

• Reform risk becoming the face of Tory failure – Ross Clark, The Spectator
• Robert Jenrick defection only delays the Tory reckoning – Peter Franklin, UnHerd
• Francis Urquhart or Baldrick? – Robert Hutton, The Critic
• Robert Jenrick and the Tory psychodrama – Joseph Dinnage, CapX
• Jenrickism has arrived – Tom McTague, The New Statesman