# Robert Jenrick British politician, MP for Newark, and a former Conservative cabinet minister. He was runner-up to [[Kemi Badenoch]] in the 2024 Conservative leadership election, losing the members' ballot 56.5% to 43.5%, and ran on the party's hard-right immigration flank. On **15 January 2026** Badenoch sacked him as shadow justice secretary, withdrew the whip and suspended his membership, citing "clear, irrefutable evidence" he was planning to defect. He joined [[Reform UK]] the same day at a press conference with [[Nigel Farage]].