Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch announced on Thursday that she had sacked shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick, whose defection to Reform has since been confirmed. 

Badenoch also removed the whip from Jenrick and suspended his party membership over suspicions that he was planning to leave the party.

‘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,’ said Badenoch.

‘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.’

Jenrick, a former solicitor, had been the shadow justice secretary for around 15 months, having been appointed by the woman who defeated him in the Conservative leadership election. He was an outspoken critic of the judicial review process, which he said was ‘mummifying economic growth’ and pledged that his party would leave the European Convention on Human Rights. He also led an attack on the independence of some judges who he said ‘blur the line between adjudication and activism’.

Jenrick confirmed later on Thursday he was defecting to the Reform Party, led by Nigel Farage. His replacement as shadow justice secretary was announced as Nick Timothy, who takes up his first shadow cabinet post. 

Timothy, who has no legal background, was joint chief of staff to the prime minister under the leadership of Theresa May and became an MP in 2024.

Badenoch said of Timothy's appointment: 'He is a true Conservative, brings a wealth of experience, and is a formidable campaigner. Nick will be a massive asset to the Shadow Cabinet team as we continue to develop our plans for a stronger economy, stronger borders and a stronger country.'

 

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