‘Britain is on the brink’: Jenrick defects to Reform in day of Westminster chaos
The Daily T
The Telegraph
4.1 • 706 Ratings
🗓️ 15 January 2026
⏱️ 31 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Robert Jenrick has defected to Reform UK after his dramatic sacking earlier today. During a press conference with Nigel Farage, Jenrick accused the Conservatives of “breaking Britain” in his first speech as a Reform MP.
Kemi Badenoch pulled a political U-turn the Prime Minister would be proud of when she announced her shadow justice secretary had been dumped over “irrefutable evidence” he was plotting a defection to Reform UK.
Camilla and Tim dissect the events of a wild day in Westminster as they look at the evidence compiled by the Tories against Jenrick, the Reform leader’s denial of any “plot,” and what this massive political drama means for the future of the Conservatives and Reform. Plus, did Camilla’s weekend column predicting the defection play a part?
Read: Brilliant Badenoch gambit or boon for Farage? Tim and Camilla go head-to-head
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | The Telegraph. |
| 0:07.0 | Robert Generic has defected to reform claiming that the Conservatives have broken Britain. |
| 0:16.0 | After a mad day we explain how and why Robert Jenrick Jumship. |
| 0:22.9 | Welcome to The Daily Tea with me, Kim Ilatominy. |
| 0:23.7 | And me, Tim Stanley. |
| 0:39.7 | Tim, we've just come out of a very hot reform press conference, which was planned to be about the local elections. |
| 0:45.6 | Momentum was building in the room. Every journalist in the lobby was in there, packed in there. It was a full house. |
| 0:50.1 | And then we had this, well, slightly delayed unveiling of Robert Jenrick. |
| 0:56.0 | And on that note, I will welcome Robert Jenrick into this room and into Reform UK. |
| 1:06.0 | I won't. He hasn't changed his mind, is he? |
| 1:12.6 | We can't find him. Is he coming, Mick? |
| 1:17.6 | It's been a funny old... this would be a very funny end of the day, wouldn't it? |
| 1:23.6 | The whole thing had an improvised feel because it was improvised. Kemi Bade Nock sacked Rob Jenrick apparently on the understanding that he was planning to join reform at this press conference, and that what had been advertised as a local elections press conference was actually about unveiling this shock defection. |
| 1:40.6 | Nigel came out and explained he had no intention of introducing Rob Jenrick at 4.30. |
| 1:47.0 | Generic had no plan of joining reform, as Nigel put it today, or tomorrow, or the week after, |
| 1:53.0 | or possibly even ever. In other words, Kemi Badenock sacking Robrick, actually caused Rob Jenrick to join reform. |
| 2:04.8 | And so, after that little preamble, Nigel Farage then said, |
| 2:08.9 | and please welcome Rob Jenrick, who then didn't appear. |
| 2:13.1 | Not that second, not the next minute, maybe he never would. |
| 2:16.8 | But eventually he did show up. And when he |
| 2:19.4 | did, well, it just turned Westminster upside down. Let's have a listen to what Mr. Jenrick |
| 2:26.1 | had to say and the reasons behind his choice to leave the Conservatives, which he pointed out |
... |
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