Kemi Badenoch sacks Robert Jenrick over ‘defection plans’

The Guardian - World NewsCenter-LeftEN 2 min read 100% complete by Jessica Elgot Deputy political editorJanuary 15, 2026 at 12:38 PM

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Kemi Badenoch sacked Robert Jenrick from the shadow cabinet and suspended him from the Conservative party amid accusations of planning to defect to Reform UK. Badenoch stated she had "irrefutable evidence" of Jenrick's secret plotting, which she deemed disloyal and damaging to the party. Sources indicate Badenoch had been monitoring Jenrick's activities due to suspicions of undermining the party, with concerns confirmed by aides' activities and a reported dinner between Jenrick and Nigel Farage. Jenrick, the shadow justice secretary and former immigration minister, was also removed from the Conservative party. Badenoch cited a commitment to ending political "psychodrama" and prioritizing loyalty within the party as the reasons for her actions.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Danny Kruger 30% Scotland 30% Rishi Sunak 40% Westminster ×240% Nigel Farage ×370% Reform UK ×380% Conservative Party ×480% Kemi Badenoch ×790% Robert Jenrick ×990%

Keywords

defection 90% kemi badenoch 80% robert jenrick 80% conservative party 70% sacked 70% reform uk 60% nigel farage 50% political psychodrama 50% disloyalty 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Negative

Score: -0.40

Source Transparency

Source

The Guardian - World News

Political Lean

Center-Left (-0.40)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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defection kemi badenoch robert jenrick conservative party sacked reform uk nigel farage political psychodrama disloyalty

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