BREAKING: Robert Jenrick defects to Reform UK as Nigel Farage suffers awkward gaffe

Robert Jenrick has defected to Reform UK, Nigel Farage has announced at a press conference.

In a painfully awkward moment, the Reform UK leader theatrically welcomed the sacked Tory politician to the room but Mr Jenrick failed to enter. It took more than a minute for the Tory defector to appear. “I thought you’d changed your mind,” Mr Farage could be heard saying.

Taking to the Reform podium, the former immigration minister – who proudly boasted that he had secured additional hotels – whined that illegal migration was out of control. He complained that Britain is “completely broken”.

It comes after Kemi Badenoch sensationally sacked Mr Jenrick earlier today over “irrefutable” evidence he was planning to defect. The Tory leader also suspended the former shadow Justice Secretary’s party membership – claiming he was plotting to inflict the maximum possible damage on his colleagues. She voiced her fury at the “political psychodrama”.

Mr Farage said he has been talking to Mr Jenrick “for some weeks, some months” and claimed the Tory party will “cease to exist” as a national political party after May’s local elections.

The Reform leader said Mr Jenrick had not been planning to defect today or this week and that the Conservatives had “jumped the gun on this”. But given Mr Jenrick had now been kicked out of the party, he had welcomed him in.

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