Robert Jenrick has been removed from the Conservative Party’s shadow cabinet, stripped of the parliamentary whip and suspended from the party, following allegations that he was preparing to defect to another political grouping. The decision was taken by Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch on 15 January, after she concluded that Jenrick’s actions were incompatible with his position on the opposition frontbench and posed a risk to party discipline.

Jenrick, who had been serving as Shadow Secretary of State for Justice, was informed that his role in the shadow cabinet had ended with immediate effect. The removal of the whip means he will now sit in the House of Commons as an independent MP while an internal party process considers his future status. Conservative Party officials said the decision followed mounting concerns over his conduct and intentions in recent weeks.

The row centres on claims that Jenrick had been engaged in discussions about a potential move to Reform UK, the right-wing party that has been seeking to attract disaffected Conservative MPs since the 2024 general election. Badenoch acted after concluding that preparations for a defection had progressed beyond informal conversations and risked destabilising the party at a sensitive moment.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage acknowledged that contact had taken place between his party and Jenrick but played down the …