It has been another good week for Robert Jenrick. At a time when many of the shadow cabinet are struggling to make an impact, his video on fare-dodging in London has certainly caused a stir. The 58-second clip – in which Jenrick, like some Tory Batman, accosts Tube passengers walking through barriers – has now been viewed nearly 15 million times. It prompted a Newsnight discussion, acres of coverage and begrudging private praise from opposition politicians too.
Such videos are not some mere fluke but rather, the product of much time and effort by Jenrick and his aides. He has learned from masters of the craft like Pierre Poilievre, the leader of the Canadian Conservatives. Polievre believed in trial-and-error, going from homespun YouTube clips in 2020 to producing slick mini-documentaries by 2023. Similarly, Jenrick has built a team sophisticated in identifying zeitgeist issues, crafting snappy narratives and packaging them online in a way designed to go viral on X, TikTok and Facebook.
Good communications come from good policy. The Shadow Justice Secretary is developing both a compelling diagnosis of Britain’s fraying social contract and a political economy to fix it. His Tube clip highlights a potent political issue: the degradation of the public realm. Many voters can see the visible decline of the high street and their local transport network. The Spectator’s recent ‘Scuzz Nation’ cover prompted much comment by Tory MPs, who think that a manifesto to tackle lawlessness at a local level would be both popular and a useful campaign tool.
Jenrick is aided in his mission by elements of what one might call the ‘Angry Young Men’ of the right. Clever, passionate and ever-online, they are often found in the world of think tanks and policy institutes, toiling away on subjects such as immigration and the rule of law that will likely form the bedrock of Britain’s next right-wing government. The Newark MP has worked hard to develop links over the past 18 months, including writing a major CPS paper and fronting the Prosperity Institute’s ‘Free Market Road Show’ last summer.
A symbiotic relationship with such places helps with Jenrick’s campaigns and policies. Amid talk of ‘JudgeWatch’ – a potential project to focus on activist members of the judiciary – the Shadow Justice Secretary has started posting such threads on X, to call out such figures and highlight what he calls ‘mounting evidence of a highly politicised legal system’. It is the modern equivalent of what Business for Sterling did 25 years ago: an online, low-cost version of a campaign group that aims to shift public opinion.
Helping Jenrick in all this is a loyal team of dedicated aides. His communications chief is Tom Milford, one of the diminishing number of Tory political advisors who served in government. Dov Forman, his social media strategist, a 21-year-old student who racked up millions of views on TikTok as a teenager. Their ranks have been bolstered by the arrival of Sam Bidwell from the Adam Smith Institute. He is credited by some with influencing Tory thinking on Kemi Badenoch’s policy of reforming Indefinite Leave to Remain.
Having a compelling vision helps attract staff; money is another. Jenrick registered more than £800,000 in donations between May 2024 and May 2025. At a time when Tory finances are tight, and shadow cabinet members complain of a lack of staff, the optimism of those around Jenrick is a striking contrast with others. A good team helps the Shadow Justice Secretary identify ostensibly dry policy issues with potentially explosive political appeal. The row over ‘two-tier’ Sentencing Council guidelines is one of the few issues on which the Tories, not Reform, has made the running.
Stunts like the fare-dodging clip are useful in ‘cutting through’ too. At a time when much of the government and opposition seem almost paralysed by paranoia, Jenrick has demonstrated a refreshing willingness to embrace guerilla tactics. The decision to project a two-tier ‘countdown clock’ onto the Ministry of Justice in March was an eye-catching and successful effort to grab some precious media airtime.
All of this is what a good shadow cabinet member should be doing: scrutinising government, developing policy, thinking clearly and winning publicity. But as other frontbenchers struggle to do exactly that, talk of a second leadership Jenrick bid will only increase in Westminster, as his hard work continues to impress both his party and his colleagues.
Comments