UK Conservatives Fire Senior Lawmaker Over ‘Plot’ to Defect
The New York Times • • world
Key Points:
- Senior Conservative lawmaker Robert Jenrick was expelled from the party after being accused of secretly planning to defect to the rival Reform U.K. party.
- Kemi Badenoch, Conservative leader, cited “clear, irrefutable evidence” of Jenrick’s intent to harm the party by switching allegiance.
- Jenrick confirmed his defection alongside Reform U.K. leader Nigel Farage, criticizing both major parties as ineffective and endorsing Reform’s platform on immigration, human rights, and energy.
- Farage hailed Jenrick’s move as a significant step in reshaping the center-right political landscape, with Reform U.K. gaining ground as the main opposition to Labour.
- Jenrick’s defection is part of a broader trend
