Robert Jenrick leaks bombshell text messages after Kemi Badenoch accuses him of 'lying'

Mr Jenrick shared a series of texts which appear to have been sent by Ms Harris, adding the caption: "They still won't tell the truth."

One of the messages read: "You have a special place in hell."

Mr Jenrick, who was booted out of the Tory Party last week before defecting to Reform UK, appeared to spark fury from his former Conservative colleagues following an interview on GB News last night.

Speaking to Patrick Christys, Mr Jenrick said: “I remember writing an article about taking the foreign aid budget - or part of - and spending it on defence, because we needed to back up our troops and our armed forces.

"And one of the whips - now the Chief Whip of the Conservative Party - messaged me to say ‘you’re totally out of order… there’s a special place in hell for you if you make an argument like that’.”

The Newark MP added: “The person who’s now the Chief Whip - the enforcer of discipline around the Shadow Cabinet table and the Conservative Party - messaged me with a litany of insults, saying I should never say that again and that there’s a special place in hell for anyone who acted like that.”

“I do not believe that people who said things like that just a matter of months ago have now had some kind of incredible conversion and change.”

Appearing on The People's Channel earlier today, Mrs Badenoch rejected Mr Jenrick's claim, accusing her former Shadow Cabinet colleague of "lying".

The Tory leader said: "He's lying. He's lying and I think it's a real shame that he's being allowed to air these views. He's left the party, it's time for him to move on.

"It is our policy, a policy that the Chief Whip has been enforcing to spend more money on defence and take it away from aid.

"I've given speeches about it, and I think this whole saga has not been about policy or policy disagreements, it is about character."

Mrs Badenoch, who defeated Mr Jenrick in the Tory Party's 2024 leadership race, added: "We have somebody who was dishonest in our party, repeatedly betraying the confidences of his colleagues. He's now going on TV trying to knife everyone in the back.

"Why doesn't he just tell people what it is that he wants to offer, rather than just being the sort of person who is slagging off the organisation that he left?"

However, Mrs Badenoch is also battling to halt a defection deluge to Reform UK.

In an emergency 1922 Committee meeting earlier this week, the Tory leader lashed out at Nigel Farage following Mr Jenrick's defection.

She told Tory MPs: "Where Reform is negative about our country, we will be fuelled by positivity."

Reform UK also secured its seventh MP after Romford MP Andrew Rosindell switched from the Tories.

Mr Farage, who has welcomed more than 20 ex-Tory MPs into Reform's ranks, has also predicted more Conservatives will defect before May 7.

During his interview with GB News yesterday, Mr Jenrick appeared to extend an olive branch to former Home Secretary Suella Braverman.

Following Mr Jenrick's decision to leak his text messages, a Reform source told GB News: “The Tories lied to you in office and Kemi and her team have been caught red-handed lying to the public again.

"Senior MPs at the heart of the Tory Party privately think it’s evil to spend money on our armed forces over foreign aid.

"They simply cannot be trusted to serve the British people.”

GB News has approached Ms Harris and the Tories for comment.