Reform isn’t building a party of government. It’s building a retirement home
Reform’s decision to welcome Robert Jenrick tells us far more about what kind of political project it really is than any speech, slogan or rally ever could. This is not the behaviour of a serious insurgent movement preparing for government. It is the behaviour of a party more interested in Punch and Judy politics than […]
Week-in-Review: Starmer and Badenoch repel their pretenders – for now
It took the power of Andy Burnham’s example to tame Robert Jenrick. Expectations heading into the Conservative Party’s annual conference suggested the shadow justice secretary would continue to strut his stuff in front of his activist admirers. But Jenrick, by his usual insubordinate standards, was a model of servility. For this, Kemi Badenoch likely has […]
Transport secretary condemns ‘have-a-go hero’ Robert Jenrick for fare dodger video
The transport secretary has dismissed a recent video posted by Robert Jenrick, which showed him pursuing alleged fare dodgers on the London Underground, as the act of a “politician masquerading as a have-a-go hero.” Heidi Alexander suggested that the shadow justice secretary’s actions were motivated by political ambition rather than a sincere effort to address […]
Robert Jenrick: the Conservative who gets opposition politics
Another week, another to-camera video courtesy of Robert Jenrick. Last week, the onetime Conservative leadership candidate’s agenda-setting vigilantism, as he intercepted “fare dodgers” on the London Underground, was a remarkable success. By whatever measure — social media clicks, column inches, broadcast commentary — Jenrick chalked up a genuine win. The lively broadside was the logical […]
Badenoch told Rupert Lowe defection would see Tories ‘move even further to the extremes’
Kemi Badenoch has been challenged to urgently rule out the defection of former Reform UK MP Rupert Lowe to the Conservative Party. The Liberal Democrats have seized on a report that Robert Jenrick, the shadow justice secretary and onetime Tory leadership candidate, held a meeting with Lowe at a private members club in Mayfair last […]
Sentencing review proposals will spark ‘crime wave’, Robert Jenrick claims
It is set to be the biggest overhaul of sentencing laws since the 1990s, and has been carried out by former justice secretary David Gauke.
Robert Jenrick backs PM with claim UK already an ‘island of strangers’ in some places
Keir Starmer has faced a backlash after he said the UK risked becoming an island of strangers if migration remained unchecked.
Week-in-Review: Robert Jenrick’s blatant manoeuvring bodes ill for Badenoch
Robert Jenrick is everywhere: read his scathing commentary in the opinion pages of the Telegraph, for whom his output surpasses most regular columnists. Catch him in the GB News studio, either as presenter or star guest. His social media feed, meanwhile, has been curated with polished to-camera videos. In the commons, every institutional avenue is […]
Badenoch urged to sack Robert Jenrick over Reform-Tory ‘coalition’ comments
The Conservative leader, Kemi Badenoch, has been urged to sack Robert Jenrick for his comments appearing to endorse a “coalition” with Reform UK. The shadow justice secretary, who finished second to Badenoch in the 2024 Conservative leadership contest, hinted at a Tory-Reform pact in a leaked recording obtained by Sky News. Jenrick can be heard […]
Jenrick: Sentencing guidelines show ‘blatant bias against Christians and straight, white men’
The Conservative Party has reacted angrily to new sentencing guidelines that recommend judges consider whether a criminal is from an ethnic, cultural or faith minority when deciding whether to jail them. The sentencing council, which sets out recommendations to courts in England and Wales, is independent and ministers do not currently have the power to […]
