She says:
“I have sacked Robert Jenrick from the Shadow Cabinet, removed the whip and suspended his party membership with immediate effect. I was presented with clear, irrefutable evidence that he was plotting in secret to defect in a way designed to be as damaging as possible to his Shadow Cabinet colleagues and the wider Conservative Party. The British public are tired of political psychodrama and so am I. They saw too much of it in the last government, they’re seeing too much of it in THIS government. I will not repeat those mistakes.”
Cry havoc…
UPDATE: Still unfolding:
The Tories claim Farage and Jenrick had dinner in December and there were active defection plans. Kemi decided to “lance the boil”…
Farage has issued his reaction at his press conference:
“I’m very surprised that this news has broken, I never reveal private conversations with anybody… I’m going to say that I’ve had conversations with a number of very senior Conservatives over the course of the last week, the last month… Of course I’ve talked with Robert Jenrick… had we signed and sealed a deal? No.”
A defection threat for some time…
UPDATE II: Farage denies Reform’s afternoon press conference was set up to announce Jenrick’s defection:
“It sounds to me like she’s panicked… I can confirm hand on heart I was not going to be unveiling Robert Jenrick at 4:30 this afternoon… I’ll give him a ring this afternoon. Might even buy him a pint.”
The Tories say a piece of physical evidence from his aides – perhaps a defection speech – was reported to them which left “no doubt” that Jenrick was set up to defect. They refuse to reveal this…
UPDATE III: A Tory source says Badenoch “didn’t want to lose Rob.” When Jenrick was called with the allegations this morning he “said he knew nothing about it before slamming the phone down.”
UPDATE IV: Tories say they found a copy of Jenrick’s resignation letter. Richard Tice says he wasn’t aware of any defection: “I’m shocked and unclear whether she’s had a nightmare or a dream.” Yusuf labels the debacle the “last days of Rome,” adding: “Kemi begins the brutal purge of those most likely to challenge her in May post the electoral wipeout.”
UPDATE V: Reform’s afternoon press conference in Westminster was scheduled to be on the local election cancellations.
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