Jenrick’s Defection Bolsters Reform UK’s Chances, Says Zia Yusuf

On 18 January 2026 Sky News reported that former Conservative cabinet minister Robert Jenrick, who served 11 years as a Tory MP and was dismissed by Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, has joined Nigel Farage’s Reform UK. The move follows the earlier defection of ex‑Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi and positions Jenrick as a “new sheriff in town” in the party’s strategy to challenge the Conservatives. Reform’s head of policy Zia Yusuf said the addition makes the party’s chance of winning the next general election considerably higher, asserting “there isn’t space for two centre‑right parties.” Farage confirmed Jenrick’s role, while Reform has set a 7 May deadline – the local‑election day – for further defections, signalling an aggressive campaign to replace the Tories in parliament.