"For Sam Smith, Thursday began as an ordinary day. The Conservative councillor was preparing for a budget scrutiny meeting at the Reform-led Nottinghamshire county council hall, where he is leader of the opposition, when he received a message from long-time friend Robert Jenrick. The MP's message to the Newark Conservative Association's group chat queried what local pubs they could visit to oppose Labour's hike on business rates."
"I couldn't believe what I was reading. You go through a emotional rollercoaster, he said. Then [the] personal: Why haven't you told me? I'm your friend.' Nobody expected it because we've been working so closely. We are a close team here in Newark, we support each other at all levels of government, he said. I tried to tell the team: Look, let's just wait to hear both sides of the story.' Then it went quiet and as the day developed, it became clear."
"Less than three hours later, during the council's scrutiny meeting, Smith was alerted to the shock announcement from Kemi Badenoch that Jenrick had been sacked from the shadow frontbench and the Conservative party. Irrefutable evidence had emerged that the MP was planning to defect, Badenoch said. Smith, who had to make an abrupt exit from the council meeting, said the announcement left everyone in a state of shock."
Sam Smith, a Conservative councillor and opposition leader at Nottinghamshire county council, received a message from MP Robert Jenrick about pubs to visit to oppose Labour's business rate hike. The pair have been friends for more than five years, and Smith led Jenrick's 2024 re-election campaign. Hours later Kemi Badenoch announced Jenrick's sacking from the shadow frontbench and the Conservative Party, citing irrefutable evidence of planned defection. Smith attempted to contact Jenrick but received no response, watched the announcement via media, and saw Jenrick join Reform UK amid a blistering press conference.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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