Rees-Mogg Urges Right to Unite After Jenrick Defection

Published: 16 January 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online

Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg has called on the Conservatives and Reform UK to unite following the dramatic defection of Robert Jenrick, warning that failure to do so could hand long-term power to the progressive Left and fundamentally reshape British politics. The former cabinet minister said the centre-Right had a “duty” to come together, arguing that continued division under the first-past-the-post system would all but guarantee defeat at the next general election.

His intervention came just hours after Mr Jenrick, the former Conservative cabinet minister and leadership contender, publicly announced his move to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK. In a combative press conference on Thursday night, Mr Jenrick launched a blistering attack on his former party, declaring that the Conservatives had “broken Britain” and that their decline was necessary to allow Reform to form a future government. The announcement sent shockwaves through Westminster and deepened an already intense debate about the future of the Right in British politics.

Earlier in the day, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch had sacked Mr Jenrick as shadow justice secretary and suspended his party membership, saying she had evidence he was preparing to defect. By the evening, those suspicions were confirmed, with Mr Jenrick accusing his former colleagues of betraying core principles on the economy, migration and law and order. He argued that both Labour and the Conservatives were now dominated by figures lacking the “competence or backbone” required to fix the country’s problems.

Sir Jacob, speaking on his GB News programme, said the moment demanded realism rather than recrimination. He warned that two competing parties on the Right would inevitably split the vote, repeating the pattern seen at the 2024 general election, when Reform’s rise cost the Conservatives dozens of seats. That outcome, he said, had helped entrench a political landscape in which progressive forces were increasingly dominant.

“We need to go into a general election with one party of the Right, not with two parties,” Sir Jacob said. “If we go with two parties in a first-past-the-post system, we both lose.” He went on to paint a stark picture of the consequences, warning of policies he described as economically damaging and socially divisive if the Right failed to regroup. His comments reflected a growing anxiety among Conservative traditionalists that the fragmentation of their voter base could lead to long-term exclusion from power.

Sir Jacob’s remarks place him alongside other senior figures on the Tory Right, including Esther McVey and former home secretary Suella Braverman, who have also argued for some form of pact or understanding between the Conservatives and Reform ahead of the next election. While the exact nature of such a deal remains unclear, proponents argue that electoral cooperation, whether through non-aggression agreements or informal seat arrangements, could prevent vote splitting and maximise the chances of a centre-Right victory.

The idea remains deeply controversial. Both Mr Farage and Mrs Badenoch have repeatedly ruled out a formal coalition, insisting that their parties represent distinct political projects. Mr Farage, welcoming Mr Jenrick to Reform, described the defection as “a big day in the realignment of the genuine centre-Right”, framing it as evidence that momentum was firmly on his side. Reform has enjoyed a significant poll lead over the Conservatives for much of the past year, fuelling speculation that it could supplant them as the main opposition force on the Right.

Despite those public positions, Sir Jacob suggested that a deal was still possible and, in his view, unavoidable. He said it was “in the national interest” for the Right to come together, adding that if some more centrist or liberal Conservatives felt uncomfortable with such an arrangement and chose to drift towards the Liberal Democrats, that would be an acceptable price to pay. His remarks underlined the ideological fault lines within the Conservative Party as it struggles to redefine itself after electoral defeat.

Addressing Mr Jenrick’s claim that he did not want to trigger talks of a pact, Sir Jacob was sceptical. He suggested that politicians often downplay the prospect of deals at the moment of defection, only for negotiations to follow later. In his view, the logic of the electoral system would eventually force both sides to reconsider their red lines.

Mr Jenrick, for his part, appeared unapologetic about the turmoil his move caused. Taking questions from journalists, he argued that the Conservative Party’s “death” was a necessary precondition for political renewal on the Right. He singled out senior figures such as Sir Mel Stride, the shadow chancellor, and Dame Priti Patel, the shadow foreign secretary, accusing them of presiding over failure during their time in government.

Conservative sources were quick to push back, pointing to Mr Jenrick’s previous praise for both figures and accusing him of opportunism. Mrs Badenoch acknowledged that the party had made mistakes while in office but insisted it had learned from them and was now charting a new course. She framed Mr Jenrick’s departure as a betrayal rather than a principled stand, arguing that unity, not fragmentation, was the path back to power.

Amid the political drama, Sir Jacob was keen to distance himself from suggestions that he might follow Mr Jenrick into Reform. Asked directly on BBC Newsnight whether he planned to defect, he replied with characteristic dryness that he was “off home actually”. He stressed that he remained a Conservative and intended to support the party, even as he expressed admiration for Mr Jenrick and described his departure as a significant loss.

In a later interview with Channel 4 News, Sir Jacob struck a more reflective tone. He said Mr Jenrick had articulated “some difficult truths” about the Conservatives’ record in government, but cautioned against portraying their time in office as an unbroken catalogue of failure. This balancing act highlighted Sir Jacob’s attempt to bridge loyalty to his party with a recognition of the grievances driving voters and politicians towards Reform.

For many observers, the episode encapsulates a broader crisis facing the British Right. Reform’s rise has tapped into disillusionment with traditional politics, while the Conservatives remain divided over how far they should move to reclaim voters who feel alienated. The question of whether unity is achievable, or even desirable, remains unresolved.

Mr Jenrick concluded his defection speech by framing his decision as an act of patriotism rather than ambition. He said the country was in a “precarious, dangerous position” and that political leaders had a duty to speak uncomfortable truths and act on them. In his assessment, the Conservatives had failed to uphold their principles on key issues and could no longer be trusted to deliver meaningful change.

Whether his move will accelerate the decline of the Conservatives or force a reckoning that leads to renewed unity on the Right is an open question. What is clear is that the defection has intensified pressure on both parties to clarify their strategy before the next election. As Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg’s intervention shows, the debate over unity is no longer theoretical. It is now central to the future shape of British politics.

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