<\/p>\n
Robert Jenrick\u2019s media plan for his defection to Reform reportedly refers to him as \u201cthe new sheriff in town\u201d and \u201cthe biggest defection story\u201d Nigel Farage\u2019s party has ever had.<\/p>\n
The leaked plan references the defection of the former Tory chancellor Nadhim Zahawi on Monday, signalling that it was prepared in recent days.<\/p>\n
Jenrick has conceded that he was \u201cresolved\u201d to switch to Reform before Kemi Badenoch fired him.<\/p>\n
The Tory leader dismissed Jenrick as shadow justice secretary and suspended him from her party on Thursday, accusing him of plotting to jump ship.<\/p>\n
She is thought to have launched her pre-emptive action after a draft of Jenrick\u2019s resignation speech and this memo were passed on to her team.<\/p>\n
It refers to the Newark MP as the \u201cthe biggest defection story Reform has ever had\u201d and the \u201cnew sheriff in town\u201d, the Mail on Sunday and the Sunday Times reported.<\/p>\n
Jenrick appears to have underlined the words \u201chere to support Nigel\u201d.<\/p>\n
A source close to Jenrick said he had no involvement in the drafting of the document.<\/p>\n
A spokesperson for Jenrick said: \u201cAs the document makes clear, Rob is just a member of Nigel\u2019s team and wants to help get him in as prime minister.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd it\u2019s a team which, unlike the Tories, wants to change Britain rather than pretend it isn\u2019t broken.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jenrick has continued his attacks on his former party.<\/p>\n
The Newark MP told the Sun on Sunday: \u201cIt\u2019s almost become the party of posh people.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey are so out of touch with the people I grew up around in Wolverhampton and represent in north Nottinghamshire.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added: \u201cThe divide in British politics has become Reform\u2019s workers\u2019 party versus the Tory posh party.\u201d<\/p>\n
Badenoch meanwhile said her former frontbencher was a rightwing \u201cpastiche\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know what I believe. I know what I stand for. Robert has a pastiche of what he thinks the right wing is, and then he performs towards it. It\u2019s always been about his personal ambition,\u201d she told the Telegraph.<\/p>\n
The opposition leader has ruled out any future rightwing pact with Reform.<\/p>\n
Jenrick has said his move to Farage\u2019s party was \u201cuniting the right\u201d.<\/p>\n
Badenoch said the right was \u201cnot a single, homogenous bloc\u201d.<\/p>\n She said: \u201cMany people on the right actively dislike Reform. Trying to \u2018unite\u2019 risks losing just as many voters as it gains.<\/p>\n \u201cReform isn\u2019t interested in fixing the country; they\u2019re interested in disruption. We are not offering the same thing, and I don\u2019t want voters to think we are.\u201d<\/p>\n Reform has said 7 May will be a cut-off point for admitting Conservative defectors.<\/p>\n Farage said this would be \u201cdeadline day\u201d for current and former MPs as well as local councillors to defect.<\/p>\n \u201cThose who join must be resolute in their conviction that the established political parties have broken Britain,\u201d he wrote in the Telegraph.<\/p>\n He said: \u201cIt is make your mind up time, and if that sounds like an ultimatum, it is.\u201d<\/p>\n Asked if she would be on high alert for MPs potentially seeking to switch sides before 7 May, which is when crucial local elections take place, Badenoch said: \u201cI think people should be wondering why they set that deadline.<\/p>\n \u201cPerhaps they\u2019re worried that they\u2019re not going to get anyone any more.<\/p>\n \u201cBut to be honest, this is a distraction from the serious things that are happening in the country right now.<\/p>\n \u201cReform love talking about defections and themselves and polls. We\u2019re talking about the country and what matters to you.\u201d<\/p>\n