Senior Conservative Robert Jenrick defects to Reform after Badenoch sacks him

Senior Tory Robert Jenrick has defected to Reform UK aft being sacked by Kemi Badenoch.

The erstwhile Conservative enactment hopeful was dramatically ousted arsenic shadiness justness caput and suspended from the Tory enactment connected Thursday morning.

Ms Badenoch said she had been presented with "clear, irrefutable evidence" helium was "plotting successful concealed to defect successful a mode designed to beryllium arsenic damaging arsenic imaginable to his shadiness furniture colleagues and the wider Conservative Party".

There was instant speculation helium was defecting to Reform, but helium remained quiescent until tweeting moments earlier a Thursday day Nigel Farage quality conference, conscionable posting connected X: "It's clip for the truth."

Mr Farage past announced Mr Jenrick was defecting to Reform and welcomed him to the stage.

However, Mr Jenrick did not look consecutive distant and determination were a fewer awkward minutes earlier helium did.

This breaking quality communicative is being updated and much details volition beryllium published shortly.

Please refresh the leafage for the fullest version.

You tin person Breaking News alerts connected a smartphone oregon tablet via the Sky News App. You tin besides travel @SkyNews connected X oregon subscribe to our YouTube channel to support up with the latest news.