Britain's Member of Parliament Kemi Badenoch right, shakes hands with losing candidate Robert Jenrick, left, after being elected as the new leader of the opposition Conservative Party, in London, Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024.(AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali) Kemi Badenoch has sacked Robert Jenrick from the shadow cabinet after it emerged he was plotting to defect to Reform UK. The Tory leader said she was “presented with clear, irrefutable evidence” that the shadow justice secretary was planning to jump ship to Nigel Farage’s party. Announcing the shock move on X, she 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.” 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… pic.twitter.com/zoSzFp0cKq — Kemi Badenoch (@KemiBadenoch) January 15, 2026 This is a breaking news story and will be updated. Follow HuffPost UK on Twitter , Facebook and Instagram .