#Robert Jenrick

#Robert Jenrick

"It's an absolute insult to the victims of Jeffrey Epstein that this government's only response is to ask the Cabinet Secretary for a 'review. "This isn't a case for an HR review; it is a case for the Metropolitan Police. "Peter Mandelson has clearly broken the law and stands now accused of serious misconduct in a public office, and he should be tried for his offences."

It is never ideal in politics to have a senior colleague defect, hurling insults as they depart, but as the dust settles on Robert Jenrick's move to Reform UK, many of the remaining Conservative MPs agree on one thing: it has left Kemi Badenoch stronger. Historically, the party has suffered from two weaknesses: too many people trying to bring down the leader, and not enough leaders getting rid of those people, one shadow minister said. Hopefully now we're all pulling in the same direction.

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

Am I after her job? Am I going to stick the knife between her shoulder blades and steal the crown? No, of course I'm not, the veteran Tory cabinet minister told the laughing audience as he opened the awards ceremony. You know that I'm not. Have I had a snazzy new haircut and lost loads of puppy fat? No. Have I stopped saying aask' and started saying assk'? Am I producing viral vigilante videos? If I was, maybe you would suspect I'm on manoeuvres.

The late poet Benjamin Zephaniah was a proud son of Handsworth, and like many of us who grew up there, he understood its complexities and loved its vibrancy. Zephaniah died in 2023 but he would have had much to say about shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick's recent comments about the diverse inner-city Birmingham ward. Jenrick complained that he didn't see another white face on his visit there,

Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

Robert Jenrick emphasized the need for unity on the right before the next general election, fearing that division could lead to a Labour victory.