""We'd been in a high state of alert", says a senior conservative. "For quite a long time we've been hearing from multiple people that he was on manoeuvres. We knew about at least one evening meeting he'd had with Farage in December"."
"As Badenoch wrapped up her shadow cabinet meeting at 17:00 GMT on Wednesday, she was taken aside and shown what her advisers immediately recognised was a bombshell leak. A source with access to Jenrick's office had handed the Tory leadership a draft of Jenrick's secret defection speech, which included excoriating attacks on shadow cabinet ministers. Jenrick's allies won't comment on the identity of the alleged leaker but do not dispute the document came from one of his inner circle."
Robert Jenrick appeared positive at a shadow cabinet meeting but within twenty-four hours a leak from his Commons office led to his expulsion from the party and his decision to back Reform. Advisers had been on high alert after receiving reports of secret meetings and manoeuvres, including at least one meeting with Nigel Farage in December. Jenrick held numerous private discussions with Reform figures over four months. A draft defection speech, obtained from inside his office, reportedly contained excoriating attacks on shadow cabinet ministers. Jenrick's allies decline to name the alleged leaker and deny careless handling of the draft. Reform sources deny offering him a cabinet position.
Read at www.bbc.com
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