Good on Kemi!

[MrsBennetsPoorNervesAreBack]

I'm no fan of Kemi Badenoch, but I'm even less of a fan of Robert Jenrick, and I'm rather delighted to see that she has sacked him and withdrawn the whip before he could jump to Reform.

She has definitely had the last laugh here. He must be spitting bullets!!

Agreed.

100% regardless of what you think of any political party this is an example of clear direction and leadership. Someone is taking the piss and shes handled it.
The amount of U-turns labour have been doing of late no-one knows if they are coming or going so to see someone i. Westminster take a decisive stand is much needed,

I think Kemi has shown decisive leadership but I don’t think she’s had the last laugh or in fact any laugh . Like him or not Jenrick is a great orator and will only plug a gap for those that say Reform don’t have experience . I think it makes them stronger .

Really? He looks an idiot - probably because he is one.

He was planning to defect to Reform in any case, it seems. I don't think it will strengthen them. Jenrick is ambitious and probably won't like Farage being in charge.

Also - re lots of ex Tory ministers "plugging the gap" to make up for Reform's woeful lack of experience... isn't part of the apparent appeal of Reform the fact that people want something different? It's looking increasingly like a refuge for disgraced Tories at the moment. Is that really what the electorate is looking for?

Judging by the polls I think people just want change . Reform are topping the polls irrespective of who is in it .

I'm pleased that we no longer have Jenrick in the Conservative Party, in some ways he sounds OK but just a bit too right-wing. I could see him not keeping himself in control and going full Boris and ranting but without the humour that Bombastic Boris has.
NB, I don't want him in a position of power either.

Badenoch found that Jenrick planned, very soon, to defect and in a nasty way designed to harm the Tories.

What exactly was she supposed to have done? she had no other choice but to sack him and withdraw the whip.

What on earth do posters who think this shows "strength and leadership" think what alternatives she had were ???

All i can think of is some are trying to see a silver lining which isn't there, its a disaster for the Tories.... he has totally trashed them, he is no Zahawi (hated as corrupt) many Tories love Jenrick, he wont he last.

What this will do for Reform and in particular, the Tories, who knows.

But at least we all know Rwanda was a con and the Govt knew it wouldn't work...

How is it change though, if it's just full of failed ex-Tories?

It's a long time before the next election, and the polls may change a lot between now and then!

"YouGov poll puts Nigel Farage’s party on 24%, down two points on the previous week. That represents its weakest showing for several months and comes amid a modest recovery for the Conservatives and a slight uptick for Labour."

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/uks-far-right-reform-party-hits-its-lowest-poll-rating-since-april-last-year/3798346#

@MrsBennetsPoorNervesAreBack

It's a long time before the next election, and the polls may change a lot between now and then!

Sounds like your nerves have changed to panic. I would vote Reform tomorrow if there was general election. However, if necessary, I can wait till 2029.

You’re brave stating that on this forum .

I'm concerned but not panicking. I know that there is a proportion of the electorate who would vote Reform but I'm clinging to the hope that the majority have enough sense to realise what a terrible mistake this would be.

Plus there are several more years for people to see the trajectory of the populist right in the US and for Reform councils to carry on fucking up. People may yet come to their senses.

There are tons of Reform voters on here, and they tend to be very vocal.

Kemi could hardly do anything else. She did the only thing she could have.

I suspect Jenrick will have the last laugh. Unfortunately some people will now believe reform is more electable given the growing number of “experienced” Tory MPs who have defected.

Bad news for the tories, probably good news for Reform

Are you an expat?

Very strong, decisive leadership from Badenoch. Weak, spineless Starmer would do well to take lessons from someone who has a backbone like her.

What else could she do? keep in him position? get down on her knees and beg him to stay?

Badenoch now saying she had no choice....

"Strong & Decisive" would have been if she'd sacked him months ago, she also sat on this for 24hrs....

On Starmer, he has been very quick to get rid of people who have broken the rules.

I recall the Louise Haigh and Angela Rayner debacles dragging on endlessly so we have very different memories. Both perfect examples of Starmer's weak, ineffective leadership.

Rayner resigned eight days after the investigation began, hardly endless.

I imagine it really hurt Badenoch given that she’s got so few MPs left. Nonetheless it was a good call.

I think Kemi Badenoch made the right decision.

People just want to see the end of this awful Labour government.

As with so many elections in the UK, the outcome will most likely revolve around votes against a particular party as opposed to votes in favour of another.

I will vote in whichever way is best to remove Labour. That means my vote would be different depending which constituency I live in. I am far from alone with that approach.

Reform has now so many ex-Tories. To vote for them would be like voting Conservatives who failed all the way

It really doesn’t matter. Labour has to be removed and hopefully not sighted again for decades if ever at all.