By Ghazali Ibrahim
UK Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has sacked Robert Jenrick, a prominent conservative member from the Shadow Cabinet, removed the party whip, and suspended his Conservative Party membership with immediate effect, citing what she described as “clear, irrefutable evidence” of disloyal conduct.
In a statement shared on X on Thursday, Badenoch said Jenrick had been plotting in secret to defect in a manner she claimed was deliberately designed to cause maximum damage to his Shadow Cabinet colleagues and the wider Conservative Party.
“I have sacked Robert Jenrick from the Shadow Cabinet, removed the whip and suspended his party membership with immediate effect,” Badenoch wrote. “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.”
The Conservative leader said her decision was informed by a desire to end what she described as ongoing political drama that has frustrated the British public.
“The British public are tired of political psychodrama and so am I,” she said, adding that voters had seen too much instability under the previous government and were now witnessing similar tensions under the current administration.
Badenoch stressed that she would not repeat what she called the mistakes of the past, signalling a tougher stance on internal party discipline as she seeks to project unity and stability within the opposition Conservative Party.
As of the time of filing this report, Robert Jenrick had not publicly responded to the allegations or the disciplinary action taken against him.
Robert Jenrick is a Member of Parliament (MP) representing Newark in Nottinghamshire. He was first elected to the UK Parliament in 2014 and has since been regarded as one of the prominent figures within the Conservative Party.
Jenrick served in several key roles in government when the Conservatives were in power. Most notably, he was appointed Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government in 2019 under former Prime Minister Boris Johnson. In that role, he was responsible for housing policy, local government affairs, planning regulations, and community development across England.
His time as housing secretary attracted public attention and controversy, particularly over planning decisions and allegations of political favouritism, which he denied. He was later moved out of the role during a cabinet reshuffle in 2021.
