Robert Jenrick could soon become Reform UK’s sixth MP after Kemi Badenoch shocked Westminster by sacking her outspoken Shadow Justice Secretary.Mr Jenrick, who previously rejected suggestions he was looking to join Nigel Farage’s party, is now likely to have a conversation with the Reform UK leader about his future.Mrs Badenoch took the decision to sack Mr Jenrick after it emerged the Newark MP had dinner with Mr Farage last month.It has also been suggested that Mr Jenrick’s team had left a copy of his “near final” resignation speech “lying around”, sparking fears of a defection in the next 24 hours.Mrs Badenoch said: “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.”But who are the 13 top Tories now on defection watch?Robert JenrickAge: 44Seat: Newark – 2014 to presentResult in 2024: Won by 3,572 votes (Reform UK received 8,280 votes)Political high point: Migration Minister and former Tory leadership contenderWhat have they said about Nigel Farage and Reform UK?There has been speculation that Reform UK insiders think Robert Jenrick could be close to defecting to Reform UK, particularly if the ambitious MP’s leadership ambitions are thwarted. Earlier this year, a Reform source told The Times: “It’s not going to happen soon. But the best thing for Robert, and for Nigel, would be if they joined forces sometime between now and the next election. Robert clearly wants to, and he’d put himself in a strong position to go to the Treasury as chancellor if he did.” However, Mr Jenrick has dismissed the prospect of working closely with Mr Farage at the time. “It wasn’t very long ago that I was running to be leader of the Conservative Party so I’m not going anywhere,” the Shadow Justice Secretary said. What happens next, who knows? Suella BravermanAge: 45Seat: Fareham & Waterlooville – 2015 to presentResult in 2024: Won by 6,079 votes (Reform UK received 9,084 votes)Political high point: Home Secretary and former Tory leadership contenderWhat have they said about Nigel Farage and Reform UK?The former Home Secretary, whose husband Rael supports Reform UK, heaped praise on Nigel Farage just last month, hailing the Clacton MP as “courageous” and labelling him as the “heretic” she most admires. However, there has been speculation about Mrs Braverman joining Reform UK for months and she is yet to cross the floor. Andrew RosindellAge: 59Seat: RomfordResult in 2024: Won by 1,463 votes (Reform UK received 9,624 votes)Political high point: Trade Envoy and national anthem campaignerWhat have they said about Nigel Farage and Reform UK?Andrew Rosindell, who was snapped alongside Reform councillor Russell Quirk ahead of the Conservative Party Conference, refused to rule out defecting. He instead told GB News: “I don’t see Reform as our enemies. It’s a split on the right, and we need to come together.”Sir John HayesAge: 67Seat: South Holland & The DeepingsResult in 2024: Won by 6,856 votes (Reform UK received 10,606 votes)Political high point: Transport Minister and leading figure in the Common Sense GroupWhat have they said about Nigel Farage and Reform UK?Sir John Hayes said: “I am flattered that people are clamouring to get me to join them and I suppose that I should take that as a compliment that they are desperate to have me. But I was elected a Conservative MP and that’s what I intend to stay. My views and Reforms over lap to a huge degree but I was elected as a Conservative MP and people would expect me to stay that way.”Lord FrostAge: 60Seat: House of LordsResult in 2024: NAPolitical high point: Brexit MinisterWhat have they said about Nigel Farage and Reform UK?Lord Frost has long called for closer ties between top Tories and Nigel Farage. Back in 2023, the ex-Brexit negotiator labelled the now-Reform UK leader a “natural part of the Conservative movement. Speaking at the Conservative Party Conference in October, Lord Frost called on Tory MPs to “stop rubbishing Reform”. Mark PritchardAge: 59Seat: The WrekinResult in 2024: Won by 883 votes (Reform UK received 9,920 votes)Political high point: Had a huge row with then-Speaker John BercowWhat have they said about Nigel Farage and Reform UK?Back in 2014, Mark Pritchard said: “There was a time when I seriously considered it [joining Ukip].” However, when asked about any potential defection in July 2024, The Wrekin MP told GB News: “Nigel and I have known each other for years. There is not much to report, given our usual discussions, to date, have normally centred around our mutual love of cigars.”Sir Jacob Rees-MoggAge: 56Seat: North East Somerset & HanhamResult in 2024: Lost to Labour by 5,319 votes (Reform UK received 7,424 votes)Political high point: Business SecretaryWhat have they said about Nigel Farage and Reform UK?Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg has been an ally to Nigel Farage for more than a decade. He attended Reform UK’s conference in September, later swerving the Conservative Party’s bonanza in Manchester. Sir Jacob’s 16-year-old daughter, Mary, has already defected to Reform. She told GB News: “Reform has all the momentum. I was very loyal to the Tories, but I met Nigel while doing work experience, and he had so much energy, so much passion, and I thought, this is a leader. However, Sir Jacob insisted: “I’m going to remain a Tory because I think it is fundamental that we bring the family of the right together.”Brendan Clarke-SmithAge: 45Seat: Bassetlaw – 2019 to 2024Result in 2024:: Lost to Labour by 5,768 votes (Reform UK received 9,751 votes)Political high point: Cabinet MinisterWhat have they said about Nigel Farage and Reform UK?“There’s more chance of me joining Westlife than Reform UK,” the then-Bassetlaw MP said in March 2024.Tom HuntAge: 36Seat: Ipswich 2019 to 2024Result in 2024: Lost to Labour by 7,403 votes (Reform UK received 7,027 votes)Political high point: Covid Recovery Group and Common Sense GroupWhat have they said about Nigel Farage and Reform UK?Just weeks before the 2024 General Election, Tom Hunt said: “I will be standing as the Conservative candidate for Ipswich at the forthcoming General Election.“It’s regrettable that we aren’t on the same side as Nigel Farage and Richard Tice.“Ultimately we share many of the same views and concerns about the country and the impact that mass migration is having upon it.”Nick FletcherAge: 53Seat: Don Valley – 2019 to 2024Result in 2024: Lost to Labour by 2,311 (Reform UK received 8,847 votes)Political high point: Voted against censuring Boris Johnson after the Privileges Committee’s report and stood unsuccessfully as Mayor of DoncasterWhat have they said about Nigel Farage and Reform UK?Despite slamming Reform UK during his campaign to become Mayor of Doncaster, Nick Fletcher said: “There’s four years between now and the General Election. I do believe, at some point, there will be some work done between the Conservative Party and Reform.”Robin MillarAge: 56Seat: Aberconwy – 2019 to 2024Result in 2024: Finished third, trailing first-place Labour by 4,972 votes (Reform UK received 6,091 votes)Political high point: Headed up the Conservative Union Research Unit and served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary to the Secretaries of State for Scotland and WalesWhat have they said about Nigel Farage and Reform UK?After losing his seat in the 2024 General Election, Robin Millar said that he “bore no ill will” to Reform UK candidates who “saw an opportunity and took it”.Mr Millar also accused the Conservative Party of failing to move to the Right, creating a disconnect between Tory voters and MPs.Jane StevensonAge: 54Seat: Wolverhampton North East – 2019 to 2024Result in 2024: Lost to Labour by 5,422 votes (Reform UK received 7,721 votes)Political high point: Resigned as a Junior Minister to rebel on an amendment to the Safety of Rwanda BillWhat have they said about Nigel Farage and Reform UK?Speaking shortly after the 2025 Local Elections, Jane Stevenson told GB News: “I think when Kemi shows she’s fighting, she’s got real grit and proper conservative principles.”Damien MooreAge: 45Seat: Southport – 2017 to 2024Result in 2024: Lost to Labour by 5,789 votes (Reform UK received 7,395 votes)Political high point: Assistant Government WhipWhat have they said about Nigel Farage and Reform UK?Following defeat in the 2024 General Election, Damien Moore blamed Rishi Sunak rather than Nigel Farage for the Conservative Party’s catastrophic defeat.He said: “Many of those who voted for me in the past say they’ve liked me personally – but they think the real main plank was the lack of leadership on the issue of illegal immigration.”Responding to Mr Jenrick’s shock sacking, Mr Farage said: “I think virtually everybody is considering leaving the Conservative Party, yes.”I think that’s been in his mind, yes. I have little doubt that it’s been in his mind.”The Reform UK leader added that he was “very surprised” about the news Mr Jenrick had been sacked this morning.However, Mr Farage admitted the pair had a “lot of conversations” over recent months.Reform UK has welcomed more than 20 high-profile defections from the Tories. Lee Anderson and Danny Kruger have so far been the only sitting MPs to switch from the Tory Party to Reform UK.Ex-MPs Mark Reckless, Andrea Jenkyns, Aidan Burley, David Jones, Lucy Allan, Marco Longhi, Ross Thomson, Anne Marie-Morris, Sir Jake Berry, Adam Holloway, Nadine Dorries, Maria Caulfield, Sarah Atherton, Jonathan Gullis, Lia Nici, Chris Green and Nadhim Zahawi complete the list.
UK Conservative leader sacks MP over ‘plot to defect’
...
Read moreDetails