Badenoch sacks Conservative leadership rival Jenrick over defection plan

Britain’s Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch sacked one-time leadership rival Robert Jenrick from her senior policy team and suspended him from the party on Thursday, saying he was plotting to defect.

Nigel Farage, the leader of the populist Reform UK party, said the two men had held discussions about him joining the party.

Jenrick lost to Badenoch in the 2024 contest to lead the main opposition party after their crushing national election defeat and was then, in an effort to reunite the party...