LONDON — A senior politician from the UK’s main opposition Conservative party, Robert Jenrick, joined the hard-right Reform UK party on Thursday, its leader Nigel Farage said.

The announcement came just hours after the high-profile Jenrick was sacked by Tory leader Kemi Badenoch for “plotting” to defect to Reform.

Reform UK has been leading by double-digit figures in the polls for the past year as UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour government comes under fire over immigration, economic growth and the cost of living crisis.

Badenoch said she had fired Jenrick, her justice spokesman, as she had “irrefutable evidence” he had been conspiring to defect to Reform “in a way designed to be as damaging as possible” to the Conservatives.

Farage said he would “buy Kemi lunch next week” as he confirmed Jenrick was joining Reform at a press conference in London.

“I just want to say thank you to Kemi Badenoch, this is the latest Christmas present I’ve ever had,” Farage told a press conference.

Jenrick........

© The Times of Israel