Former Tory leadership hopeful Robert Jenrick has caused quite a stir this week, after a recording leaked to Sky News suggested the frontbencher had ambitions of his own to ‘unite the right’. The clip ruffled feathers as commentators suggested the Conservative MP was in favour of doing a deal with Reform UK – something that current Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has vowed will not happen. But on the airwaves this morning Jenrick struck a conciliatory tone, insisting first that ‘Kemi Badenoch and I are on exactly the same page’ over Reform before urging listeners to ‘give her a break’.
Speaking to ITV’s Good Morning Britain, Jenrick defended the remarks he made at a UCL Conservative Society dinner last month, in which he divulged that ‘I want the right to be united… And one way or another, I’m determined to do that and to bring this coalition together.’ Immediately after the leaked recording was flagged to Jenrick’s team, a source close to the MP claimed the politician had been referring to voters rather than the political parties. And on breakfast TV today, the shadow justice secretary was adamant that he wanted to ‘put Reform out of business’. Going on, Jenrick added:
I want to send Nigel Farage back to retirement… What I want to do, and Kemi feels the same, is bring back those voters that we lost, many of whom we lost to Reform at the last general election, and we lost them because we let those people down. I understand that they feel angry and frustrated with the Conservative party right now. We’re changing that.
Turning to the subject of his party leader – and onetime rival for the Tory leadership – Jenrick was quick to offer up his praise, remarking:
The party’s under new leadership under Kemi. Frankly, I think she’s doing a bloody good job in difficult circumstances. You know, it’s not easy being leader of the opposition when we’ve just lost our worst ever election defeat. Frankly, I think people should give her a break.
Well, with Badenoch’s boys in blue preparing for a tough time at next week’s local elections, maintaining a united front among themselves – never mind the rest of the right – will be crucial for the Conservatives. They’d be wise to stick together…
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