Reform Watch: First Zahawi, now Jenrick? Welcome to a Defection Special
Each week we cast over eyes over what Reform have been up to – from bizarre proclamations to the detail of how their attempts to run councils are going.
The Lead is keeping an eye on Reform UK and their fellow travellers. Get in touch on X, Bluesky and Instagram or email ella@thelead.uk with tips and stories. We especially want to hear from readers whose local council is now run by Farage’s followers.
In today’s edition:
Senior Conservative Robert Jenrick has been sacked from the shadow cabinet and suspended from the party following (according to party leader Kemi Badenoch) “clear, irrefutable evidence” that he was planning to defect to Reform. Nigel Farage has confirmed he had "absolutely" been in talks with Jenrick about the possibility of joining Reform, but nothing was set in stone. This news is still unfolding as we hit publish. Whether this will be a boon for Reform or the beginning of a resurgence for the Tories is completely up in the air, but we'll be getting the popcorn out either way.
Trades Union Congress@The_TUC.@RobertJenrick do you need a union rep x11:27 AM · Jan 15, 2026 · 38.4K Views29 Replies · 234 Reposts · 1.46K LikesJenrick’s sacking follows the latest and most senior defection to Reform from the Tories, by ex-chancellor Nadhim Zahawi. He claimed he felt the UK had reached a "dark and dangerous" moment, and the country needed "a glorious revolution" — but some Tory MPs claim the move came after he was rebuffed for a peerage. He’s the 20th Tory MP to have defected from Reform, begging the question: is the party now just ToryLite?
Yesterday, Reform announced 20 new councillors in England, including 14 defectors from the Conservatives and one from the Green Party. They came from local authorities in Horsham, Middlesbrough, the Wirral, Reading, Thanet, Suffolk, Gravesham, Bolsover, St Helens, Havant, Waltham, Somerset, Stoke-on-Trent, West Suffolk, Calderdale and Waltham Forest.
In Scotland, Reform has appointed its party leader: another ex-Tory, Lord Malcolm Offord, who, you may recall, has been accused of cronyism after he was appointed to the House of Lords after donating to the Tories.
In non-defection news, council tax in Lancashire will likely increase by 3.8 per cent if Reform UK’s draft budget is approved. This is less than the maximum allowed amount (something other Reform UK councils have not managed to achieve) but a far cry from the over-promise to freeze or slash council tax. The Lancashire Lead has the full story.
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