Nigel Farage was today warned that Reform risks becoming the ‘Slytherin House’ of British politics after accepting a string of Tory defectors.
Mr Farage welcomed Robert Jenrick into the fold last night, hours after he had been summarily sacked by Kemi Badenoch for plotting a betrayal.
But there is as yet no sign that any more MPs will follow the former shadow justice secretary out the door – while Mrs Badenoch seems to have bolstered her own position with the ‘strong’ action.
A mole in Mr Jenrick’s team is thought to have provided evidence that he was about to jump ship, including a draft defection speech and media plan.
Former Cabinet minister Michael Gove – a close ally of Mrs Badenoch and now editor of the Spectator – warned that Mr Jenrick might only have managed to trash his reputation.
Lord Gove compared the episode to his own decision to turn on Boris Johnson in 2016, admitting many people still only remembered him for ‘treachery’.
Nigel Farage welcomed Robert Jenrick into the fold last night, hours after he had been summarily sacked by Kemi Badenoch for plotting a betrayal
Former Cabinet minister Michael Gove suggested Reform looked like ‘Slytherin House’, affiliated with Lord Voldemort in the Harry Potter books
‘The overall impression that will have been generated is that he was caught mid-plot,’ he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. ‘This was not a decision that he was master of.’
He added: ‘If Rob had felt that he had a chance of becoming leader… then I think he would have stayed.’
In contrast, Lord Gove suggested Mrs Badenoch’s decision to sack Mr Jenrick ‘in that way will have sent a message to the country of strength’.
The Tory peer – who has not been in frontline politics since the election – highlighted two mayor risks now facing Reform.
‘Danger one is that after the defection of Nadhim Zahawi earlier this week there’s a risk that rather than seeming like a fresh force determined to clean up politics they look rather more like Slytherin House,’ he said.
‘They look rather more like the home of those who are the intriguers.’
Slytherin was the Hogwarts School house of villain Lord Voldemort in the Harry Potter books – and notoriously dominated by duplicitous, power-hungry wizards.
Lord Gove went on: ‘The second thing is that some of the most energetic figures in Reform, people like Laila Cunningham the candidate for (London) mayor, people like Zia Yusuf have made a distinct point that Reform has to present itself not as a home for ex-Tories but a fresh force.’
Lord Gove said there was no doubt that Mr Farage was ‘the prime force, the undoubted leader of Reform’.
But he added: ‘There is also now in Reform what there wasn’t before, which is a succession battle.
‘Nigel has been the leader effectively of this movement for 20 years. It would have been assumed that Zia probably is his natural successor. Now there is another potential pretender to that throne as well.’
Mrs Badenoch, who is visiting Scotland ahead of crucial elections in May, has doubled down on her bold move. She said Mr Jenrick was now ‘Nigel Farage’s problem’, adding: ‘It is not a blow to lose someone who lies to his colleagues.’
Tories are bracing to see if anyone follows Robert Jenrick out of the door today after Kemi Badenoch’s dramatic move to force his hand
Allies of the leader have voiced confidence that she has stemmed the flow of defections, with many MPs surfacing to condemn Mr Jenrick.
Nick Timothy, who has replaced Mr Jenrick as shadow justice secretary, toured broadcast studios this morning insisting that the Tories are ‘united’.
Asked about the prospect of further defections, he told BBC Breakfast: ‘Well I can speak for myself, and I can tell you that I joined the Conservative Party as a 17-year-old and I will die a member of the Conservative Party.
‘But the reaction yesterday in Parliament was actually one of surprise that Rob would do this, but also resolve because the party, I think, is more united under Kemi’s leadership than I’ve known it for many years.
‘And the reaction of my colleagues in Parliament was to be impressed by the way Kemi handled the situation and pleased that she’s been so decisive.’
Tory MP Mark Francois – sometimes tipped as another defector – gave a damning assessment of Mr Jenrick’s actions today.
‘I feel desperately let down by what Robert did yesterday, personally let down… yesterday was an ego trip, sucking up to Nigel on television,’ he told Talk TV.
‘I cannot respect that.’
However, a number of MPs have yet to comment publicly and there is significant private dismay at the departure.
In a video released at 11.06am yesterday, Mrs Badenoch said she had sacked Mr Jenrick from the frontbench and the party after being presented with ‘clear irrefutable evidence that he was plotting in secret to defect in a way designed to be as damaging as possible’.
A day of high drama culminated in Mr Jenrick being formally unveiled by Nigel Farage at a 4.30pm press conference (pictured)
She insisted the British public are sick of ‘psychodramas’.
There are claims that a mole in Mr Jenrick’s team supplied the leadership with a draft speech and media plan being prepared for the defection.
Mr Jenrick said last night that he would not trigger a by-election in his Newark seat, claiming that his constituents were already aware of his views.
Mr Farage, meanwhile, thanked Mrs Badenoch for driving Mr Jenrick into his arms, saying the defection had only been ’60:40′ to happen at that point.