Journalist Skewers Reform's Robert Jenrick With Brutal 3-Word Slapdown

A journalist skewered Robert Jenrick over his failure to call a by-election when he defected from the Conservatives to Reform UK.

The former Tory leadership contender had praised Nigel Farage’s “courage” for calling a contest in his Clacton seat earlier this week.

Farage dramatically announced that he was quitting as MP for the constituence after just two years amid controversy over the £5 million gift he received from a crypto billionaire, and financial support from a convicted criminal.

The Reform leader said it will be a “people versus the establishment” contest, but so far his only confirmed opponent is Count Binface after Labour, the Tories, the Lib Dems and Greens all said they won’t take part.

Appearing on the Telegraph’s Daily T podcast, Jenrick said: “Nigel Farage had the courage to put himself up for a by-election, which very few people do in politics.”

Presenter Tim Stanley then pointed out: “Well, you didn’t.”

A stunned Jenrick said: “Well quite, very few people do it.”

Jenrick has been criticised for defecting to Reform without calling a by-election of his own in Newark, where he was elected as a Tory candidate at the 2024 general election.

Earlier in the podcast, Jenrick said: “I hope that the people of Clacton will return Nigel. We don’t know that for certain, but I hope that they will by a strong majority.

“That will send a very powerful signal to the other parties that the stitch-up has failed.”

But Stanley told him: “It will send a signal that he can win a seat in which he’s already proven before he’s very popular, while running against no one.

“What is the message to the wider electorate that Nigel Farage can beat a field of one talking bin?”

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