Kemi Badenoch suspended Robert Jenrick for plotting to defect to Reform UK, which he later did, deepening Conservative turmoil.

Kemi Badenoch suspended Robert Jenrick from the Conservative Party and removed him from her shadow cabinet on January 14, 2026, citing irrefutable evidence he was secretly plotting a defection to another party, likely Reform UK. Jenrick, former shadow justice secretary, had been discussing a move with Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, though no formal agreement was reached. Badenoch confirmed the suspension and removal of the whip, appointing Nick Timothy as his replacement. Jenrick later defected to Reform UK, marking another high-profile exit from the Conservatives amid growing internal instability and rising support for Reform UK, which now leads in polls. Prime Minister Keir Starmer questioned the timing of the dismissal.