ROBERT Jenrick has been caught plotting to unite the Tories and Reform UK in a leaked tape.
The top Tory warned that a divided Right would gift Labour a second term, vowing he’s “not prepared” to let Keir Starmer “sail in through the middle.”
Tory chief Kemi Badenoch[/caption]
The comments have fuelled fresh speculation that Mr Jenrick – who narrowly lost the leadership contest to Kemi Badenoch – could be positioning himself for another tilt at the top job.
It comes despite public denials from both Ms Badenoch and Reform boss Nigel Farage that any deal is on the table before the election.
In audio obtained by Sky News of a speech at the University College London Conservative Association dinner last month, Mr Jenrick said: “[Reform UK] continues to do well in the polls. And my worry is that they become a kind of permanent or semi-permanent fixture on the British political scene.
“If that is the case – and I say, I am trying to do everything I can to stop that being the case – then life becomes a lot harder for us, because the Right is not united.
“And then you head towards the general election, where the nightmare scenario is that Keir Starmer sails in through the middle as a result of the two parties being disunited.
“I don’t know about you, but I’m not prepared for that to happen. I want the fight to be united.
“And so, one way or another, I’m determined to do that and to bring this coalition together and make sure we unite as a nation as well.”
A source close to Mr Jenrick said his comments were about “voters not parties”, adding: “He’s clear we have to put Reform out of business and make the Conservatives the natural home for all those on the Right, rebuilding the coalition of voters we had in 2019 and can have again.
“But he’s under no illusions how difficult that is – we have to prove over time we’ve changed and can be trusted again.”
Reform has consistently outpolled the Conservatives this year and claims to have overtaken them in membership numbers.
The insurgent party is also tipped to pick up hundreds of council seats across England in next week’s local elections – which is set to pile on huge pressure on struggling Ms Badenoch.
Earlier this month, Ms Badenoch suggested Tory and Reform councillors could work together to stop Labour at a local level but Mr Farage promptly rejected it.
Senior Tory backbenchers, including Esther McVey and Suella Braverman, have insisted that a deal must be reached with Reform to unite the Right and beat Sir Keir.
Labour Party chairman Ellie Reeves said: “Kemi Badenoch needs to urgently come clean as to whether she backs her shadow justice secretary in doing grubby deals with Reform behind the electorate’s back or if she will rule it out.
“If she disagrees with Robert Jenrick, how can her leadership have any credibility whilst he remains in her shadow cabinet?
“We know Kemi Badenoch has opened the door to deals with Reform at a local level, which Labour has categorically ruled out, and now Robert Jenrick has let the cat out the bag.”
The Lib Dems also called on Ms Badenoch to sack Mr Jenrick.
Deputy Party leader Daisy Cooper said: “The cat is out of the bag. Senior Conservatives are plotting a grubby election deal with Nigel Farage.
“Kemi Badenoch should sack Robert Jenrick now if she’s serious about ruling out a pact with Reform. Anything less would show she’s either too weak to sack him or that she agrees.
“It’s little wonder that former Conservative voters, appalled by the party lurching further to the right, are switching to the Liberal Democrats in their droves.”
