Matthew Stadlen says Robert Jenrick's defection to Reform UK is 'embarrassing' in scathing rant against ex-Tory

Reform UK councillor Maxwell Harrison said: "It was a belter of a day for Reform UK yesterday. I think, to be honest, Nigel Farage is there to take on people who can add value.

"That was the explicit message from yesterday’s conference, and there’s no spin you can put on this to suggest it was a bad day for Reform

"The fact they have been able to take on the Conservatives’ most popular Member of Parliament not only an MP but the Shadow Justice Secretary and bring him over to Reform is huge.

"Yesterday will be a day underlined in the history books when it comes to the realignment of centre-right politics in this country. It was absolutely massive.

"You would have to do some serious mental gymnastics to put a negative spin on this, which some left-wing commentators have been doing online.

"It’s absolutely huge. Nigel is there to take on those who can add, and Robert Jenrick has a huge amount of experience that will help steer the party, both professionally and from a back-office perspective, so it’s ready to run the country if elected in 2029."

Matthew Stadlen said: "This is just crazy analysis, Stephen. You say that Robert Jenrick is a solid figure. I can hear Conservative MPs chuckling into their cornflakes.

"He literally told Camilla Tominey, your fellow GB News presenter, just days ago that he would never defect.

"This is also a man Nigel Farage himself publicly described last August as a fraud.

"Nigel Farage said he had always thought him to be a fraud.

"Robert Jenrick is also reported in The Telegraph to have been telling Tory members last year that Nigel Farage couldn’t even run a five-a-side football team.

"This is a man who had a very public and toxic spat with Zia Yusuf, someone viewers will be familiar with.

"I’ve debated him for an hour on The Michelle Dewberry Show.

"Frankly, I don’t know who I feel more embarrassed for."

The defection came just hours after Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch dismissed Mr Jenrick from his position as shadow Justice Secretary, simultaneously removing the party whip and suspending his membership.

Ms Badenoch said she had been presented with "clear, irrefutable evidence that he was plotting in secret to defect in a way designed to be as damaging as possible to his shadow cabinet colleagues and the wider Conservative Party".

The timing proved chaotic, with the Tories releasing extracts of what they claimed was Jenrick's planned defection speech moments before a Reform press conference began.

There was a notably awkward delay before Mr Jenrick appeared on stage alongside Mr Farage, prompting the Reform leader to quip that Badenoch had not telephoned to ask him back.