Keith Girling is a Nottinghamshire County Councillor and Chairman of Newark Conservative Association.
I write with a heavy sense of responsibility following Robert Jenrick MP’s decision to leave the Conservative Party and align himself with Reform.
Newark has been proud to be represented by a Conservative Member of Parliament for many years, and Robert Jenrick was elected repeatedly on a Conservative manifesto, a Conservative rosette, and with the active support of thousands of local members, volunteers, and voters who placed their trust in our party.
That trust matters.
It is not an abstract concept, nor a procedural technicality. It is the foundation of representative democracy—and when it is broken, the consequences are felt most sharply by those who gave their time, energy, and faith in good conscience. When voters go to the polls, they are not merely endorsing an individual personality; they are endorsing a set of values, a programme for government, and a political tradition that has been built collectively over time. In Newark, that tradition has been Conservative.
Mr Jenrick’s defection therefore represents more than a change of personal allegiance. It is a break with the mandate on which he was elected, and with the local party members who worked tirelessly to support him—often in all weathers, often without recognition, and always out of loyalty to the Conservative cause. Many of those members now feel disappointed, confused, and, frankly, let down.
Let me be clear: the Conservative Party has always been a broad church. It contains different traditions, emphases, and schools of thought, united by a shared belief in responsibility, aspiration, enterprise, and the nation-state. Debate within the party is not a weakness; it is a strength. Our history shows that Conservatives argue internally, sometimes vigorously, but ultimately do so in pursuit of governing well and serving the country.
Leaving the party altogether is a different matter. When an MP chooses to defect, particularly to a party whose platform and approach diverge significantly from mainstream Conservatism, it inevitably raises questions about accountability. The seat of Newark was not won by Reform, nor by an independent candidate, but by the Conservative Party. That fact cannot be wished away.
It is also important to address the local dimension.
Newark is not a Westminster abstraction; it is a living community with specific needs, challenges, and ambitions. Our association exists to serve those communities, to select Conservative candidates, and to campaign on Conservative principles at every level of government. We do this not for personal advancement, but because we believe Conservative values deliver results for places like Newark.
Mr Jenrick benefited from that local infrastructure and goodwill. He himself has acknowledged that he would not have secured victory at the last General Election without the outstanding efforts of Councillor Sam Smith, who ran his campaign, and without the full backing of the Newark Conservative Association.
He was supported by activists who knocked on doors, delivered leaflets, staffed committee rooms, and defended his record on doorsteps. Those activists did so as Conservatives. They did not volunteer for Reform, nor were they consulted about this change in political direction. Many of them are not merely disappointed; they are angry. They feel taken for granted after years of loyal service. More than once in recent days I have heard the same quiet, painful refrain from people who stood by him on the doorstep and in the committee room: they thought he was better than that.
Some will argue that defection is a matter of conscience. Conscience is important in public life, and no one should be compelled to hold views they no longer believe. But conscience cuts both ways. There is also a moral responsibility to the electorate and to the party that provided the platform on which one was elected. Historically, when MPs have concluded that they can no longer represent their constituents under the banner on which they were elected, the honourable course has been to seek a fresh mandate.
This is not about personal animosity. Robert Jenrick is a capable individual, and many in Newark will acknowledge the work he has done while serving as MP. That is precisely why the sense of hurt runs so deep. Expectations were higher because the regard was genuine. This is about principle, trust, and democratic clarity. Party labels matter because they provide voters with a shorthand for values, priorities, and governing competence. To change that label midstream, without consulting constituents, risks blurring that clarity.
For the Conservative Party locally, this moment is undoubtedly painful—but it is also clarifying. Our association is bigger than any one individual. It is made up of members who believe in prudent economic management, strong national defence, controlled and fair immigration, support for business, and the dignity of work. Those beliefs do not disappear because one MP chooses a different path.
Indeed, moments like this test the resilience of political organisations. I am confident that Newark Conservatives will respond with dignity, unity, and renewed purpose. Our focus remains on selecting and supporting a Conservative candidate who will stand unequivocally on a Conservative platform and who will be accountable to local members and voters alike.
There will be those who seek to portray this defection as evidence of wider collapse or ideological exhaustion within Conservatism. I do not share that view. Political parties evolve, renew, and sometimes struggle—but the Conservative Party has endured for nearly two centuries precisely because it adapts while remaining rooted in enduring principles. One defection, however high-profile, does not negate that record.
What it does do is remind us of the importance of honesty in politics. Voters deserve to know what they are voting for, and representatives owe them consistency or, at the very least, transparency and recourse to the ballot box when fundamental changes occur.
As Chairman of the Newark Conservative Association, my priority is to our members and to the people of Newark. My sole purpose now is to ensure that Newark returns a Conservative Member of Parliament at the next General Election. We will continue to campaign, to listen, and to argue the Conservative case with confidence. We will do so respectfully, without rancour, and with an unwavering commitment to democratic accountability.
Politics is ultimately about service. Parties exist to translate values into action, and elections exist to allow the public to choose between competing visions. That process works best when all involved play it straight.
Newark deserves nothing less, and the Conservative Party remains committed to earning and re‑earning the trust of its voters.
