From Remain voter to possible Reform defection, it has been some journey for Jenrickpublished at 12:16 GMT
Henry Zeffman
Chief political correspondent
Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption,
Jenrick, then communities secretary, in September 2019
It is worth just reflecting on what a political journey Robert Jenrick has been on for his defection to Reform UK even to be plausible.
He was first elected in a by-election in 2014 where his main rival was Nigel Farage’s then-party, Ukip.
Once in the Commons, he was part of the Conservative mainstream, voting Remain in the EU referendum and backing first Michael Gove then Theresa May in the leadership election that followed.
He became a junior Treasury minister towards the end of May’s time as prime minister.
When he joined forces with Rishi Sunak and Oliver Dowden to endorse Boris Johnson’s 2019 leadership campaign it was a massive moment because it signalled that that was where the momentum of mainstream Conservative rising stars was flowing.
Jenrick got by far the biggest job of the trio – housing secretary – in Johnson’s first cabinet but before long was left far behind by his closest political friends.
When Sunak became prime minister, it was striking that whereas Dowden became one of his chief lieutenants – and ultimately deputy prime minister – Jenrick was not even a full cabinet minister as immigration minister.
It was his experience in this job which, friends say, transformed him as he saw up close what he saw as a dysfunctional immigration system.His internal critics claimed that this was political opportunism from somebody anticipating a post-general election leadership contest.
Ultimately he quit Sunak’s government because he believed his policies on illegal immigration did not go far enough. And he moved to the right on other issues too.
It was Kemi Badenoch’s belief that Jenrick was about to make the ultimate leap to the right which has plunged the Conservative Party into turmoil this afternoon.
