Robert Jenrick said he hopes his decision to defect to Reform UK will “unite the right” and urged the public to “rally behind Nigel Farage”.
Speaking to the BBC on Friday, Mr Jenrick said his defection was not driven by political ambition but by a belief it was the “right thing to do”. He said he had taken the decision to join Reform “over a period of time” and called Thursday a “huge” day for him.
Earlier, Kemi Badenoch has branded him a “liar” in a damning attack following his defection. The Conservative leader said you “cannot believe a word” that comes out of the former shadow justice secretary’s mouth after she claims he denied any intention to defect on Thursday morning.
Mr Jenrick was sacked by Ms Badenoch on Thursday, who cited "irrefutable evidence” that he was “plotting to jump ship in a damaging way”. He was later revealed by Mr Farage as Reform UK’s latest recruit.
Writing in The Telegraph, Mr Jenrick said he is “proud to be Reform’s 270,000th member” and said: “If you’re not already on board, join the movement. The future of the country is on the line.”
Key points
- Defection 'not driven by political ambition,' Jenrick says
- Nigel Farage welcomes Jenrick to Reform UK
- Watch: Kemi Badenoch sacks Robert Jenrick
- Robert Jenrick sacked by Kemi Badenoch after ‘plotting in secret to defect’
- How alleged 'secret defection plot' was uncovered
Watch: Every time Robert Jenrick and Nigel Farage have insulted each other
15:27 , Dan HaygarthBadenoch says government 'out of step' on oil and gas
15:10 , Alex CroftTory leader Kemi Badenoch has accused the Government of being “out of step” on oil and gas as a new poll suggests almost 60 per cent of the public support North Sea development.
The poll, by Survation for the consultancy True North, spoke to 1,003 people between January 8 and 12, finding 58 per cent support for full development of the North Sea.
A further 75 per cent said the UK’s energy needs should be met through domestic supply, rather than imports.
Speaking to journalists during a visit to Aberdeen on Friday, Mrs Badenoch hit out at the UK Government’s stance on oil and gas.
“I think the Labour Party have been out of step with public opinion since the day that they came into office,” she said.
“All they were focused on was winning the election – and hands up, we lost the election because the public could see that those policies were not working.
“That’s another reason why I’m changing our policies. They came in thinking they were loved, they didn’t really have a plan, and that’s why we’re seeing them U-turn all over the place on so many policies.”
Tories ‘fighting for survival’ as 11 MPs on defection watch to Farage’s Reform
14:55 , Dan HaygarthSenior Tories admit the party is in a “fight for survival” as 11 MPs are placed on a defection watch list over fears more could follow Robert Jenrick to Reform.
Figures close to Kemi Badenoch are concerned that Nigel Farage’s call to action – for anyone considering a move to do so in time for the 7 May local elections or risk being rejected by the party – could trigger a deluge of other departures.
The watch list, seen by The Independent, includes former ministers and veteran MPs Suella Braverman, Sir John Hayes, Mark Francois, Esther McVey, Andrew Rosindell and Sir Desmond Swayne.
Read the full article: Tories ‘fighting for survival’ as 11 MPs on defection watch to Farage’s Reform
Watch: Starmer brands Tories a ‘sinking ship’
14:45 , Dan HaygarthAny Tory interested in 'psychodrama' should go, says Badenoch
14:25 , Dan HaygarthKemi Badenoch has said anyone in the Conservative Party interested in “psychodrama” should go.
Asked if she felt any more “spring cleaning” needed to be done in her party after Robert Jenrick’s defection to Reform UK, she told the Press Association: “If they’re people who do not belong in our party, who think that it’s all a game and that people’s lives are a game, they just want all this psychodrama, then yes, they should go.
“We don’t want people like that in the Conservative Party.
“They caused all the problems, and now people can see that the Conservative Party is getting its act together.
“We are now a changed party under new leadership, and the people who can’t deal with that are leaving.”
Labour: Jenrick is 'one of the arsonists who inflicted chaos and decline on Britain'
14:10 , Dan HaygarthLabour said Robert Jenrick was “one of the arsonists who inflicted chaos and decline” on Britain while serving as a Tory minister under the previous government.
Citing comments made by Nigel Farage before Mr Jenrick defected to Reform UK on Thursday, Labour chairwoman Anna Turley said: “In the words of his new party leader: Robert Jenrick is a fraud.
“He himself is one of the arsonists who inflicted chaos and decline on Britain while the Tories were in government.
“Now he wants the public to believe he’d do a better job through Farage’s Reform. It’s a recipe for more of the same chaos that held our country back for far too long.
“While he and the other 23 failed former Tory MPs who have run off to Reform focus on their careers, Labour is focused on delivering the change working people voted for and cutting the cost of living.”
Watch: ‘If your skin is different to Trump, you’re nervous’: Sadiq Khan on minority fears in US amid Minneapolis unrest
13:45 , Nicole Wootton-CaneJenrick says previous comments about Farage are 'rough and tumble of politics'
13:40 , Daniel HaygarthRobert Jenrick has called his previous hostile comments about Nigel Farage and his new leader’s comments about him “the rough and tumble of politics”.
Reform UK’s new MP told the BBC: “I’ve said stuff in politics, Nigel has said things: that’s the rough and tumble of politics.
“I’ve probably been more complimentary about Nigel than, frankly, anyone in the Conservative Party.
“I’ve said that I respect his longevity, I respect the fact he’s spoken for millions of people in the country.”
Mr Jenrick went on to praise Mr Farage’s “consistency on some of the most important issues facing the country today”, including illegal migration, energy bills, net zero, cutting taxes and deregulation.
Read more: Everything Nigel Farage and Robert Jenrick said about each other before his dramatic defection
Analysis: How mild-mannered Robert Jenrick turned into a ‘Trumpian hellraiser’
13:30 , Nicole Wootton-Cane
How mild-mannered Robert Jenrick turned into a ‘Trumpian hellraiser’
Davey: Jenrick 'helped wreck the NHS'
13:29 , Dan HaygarthLiberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said Robert Jenrick “helped wreck the NHS” while serving as a health minister in the previous Tory government.
Responding to Mr Jenrick’s BBC interview after his defection to Reform UK, Sir Ed said: “People are fed up of hearing that Britain is broken from the very people like Robert Jenrick and Nigel Farage who broke it in the first place.
“Robert Jenrick was a Conservative health minister who helped wreck the NHS, while Nigel Farage championed Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal which damaged the economy and increased the cost of living.
“Liberal Democrats will be the home for all those former Conservative voters who feel appalled by Nigel Farage and let down by Kemi Badenoch.”
Union boss ‘held up Communist flag alongside people singing pro-Russia chants in occupied Ukraine’
13:15 , Nicole Wootton-CaneThe chief of a major union has come under fire this morning after pictures emerged of him alongside people singing pro-Russia chants on a visit to occupied Ukraine.
The general secretary of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT), Eddie Dempsey, travelled to the Donbas region of Ukraine in 2015, one year after it had been invaded by Russia.
While he characterised the trip as a “humanitarian convoy”, footage from his visit – obtained by The Telegraph – showed him holding the red Communist Party flag while those around him chanted slogans in Russian, such as “United, we will never be defeated” and “The Donbas, the tomb of fascism”.
The Independent’s political correspondent Millie Cooke has this story:
Union boss ‘pictured alongside people singing pro-Russia chants in occupied Ukraine’
Jenrick confirms team member leaked defection details
13:11 , Dan Haygarth
The Independent’s political correspondent Athena Stavrou reports:
Robert Jenrick has confirmed the news of his defection was leaked by a member of his own team.
“I’m told that there was a junior person who did that,” he told the BBC.
It was widely reported on Thursday that a member of his own team leaked the plans to Kemi Badenoch’s office, allowing the Tory leader to get ahead and publicly sack him.
He added: “But I don't know all the details, and frankly, that isn't really important to me - I’d resolved to do this beforehand.”
Jenrick: I haven’t spoken to any Tory ex-colleagues
13:06 , Dan HaygarthThe Independent’s political correspondent Athena Stavrou reports:
Robert Jenrick has said he has “no idea” if any of his former Tory colleagues will follow his lead in defecting to Reform UK.
When asked if he knows how many Conservative colleagues he think will follow him, he told the BBC: “I've no idea, and I haven't spoken to colleagues or asked them to do so that.”
He said that while he believes many in the Conservative Party are “good people”, he said the “majority of MPs in Westminster don't believe in the things that I believe in.”
He added: “We'll have to see that's that's ultimately a decision for them - it’s deeply personal. And then it would be a decision for Nigel and reform as to whether they were able to be accepted in.”
Comment: Party ‘Faithfuls’? Kemi’s ‘TraiTories’ are heading for their final round table
13:00 , Nicole Wootton-Cane
Party ‘Faithfuls’? Kemi’s ‘TraiTories’ are heading for their final round table
'Very tough' to leave Conservative Party, Jenrick says
12:55 , Nicole Wootton-CaneRobert Jenrick has said it was “very tough” for him to come to the decision to leave the Conservative party, of which he has been a member since he was a teenager.
“I agonised over this,” he told the BBC.
He added there will not be a by-election in his constituency of Newark following his exit, which some Conservatives in Newark have called for.
Badenoch '100 per cent confident' no other member of her shadow cabinet will defect
12:50 , Nicole Wootton-CaneThe Independent’s Whitehall editor Kate Devlin reports:
Kemi Badenoch has said she is confident there will be no further defections from her top team after Robert Jenrick joined Reform UK.
She insisted mutiple times that Mr Jenrick “is not my problem any more, he is Nigel Farage’s problem,” in an interview with Sky News on a campaign visit to Scotland, ahead of May’s Holyrood elections.
Asked if she was confident there would be no more shadow cabinet defections, she said: “I am 100% confident, we are a united team.”
Of Mr Jenrick, who was, until Thursday, her shadow justice secretary, she added: “We are a stronger and more united team. Because Robert Jenrick is not a team player”.
Jenrick accuses Conservative Party of 'breaking' Britain
12:42 , Nicole Wootton-CaneRobert Jenrick has told the BBC the “final straw” came for him when he was sat around a table with the shadow cabinet discussing whether Britain is broken.
"We can't say it because it was the Conservative Party who broke it,” he said.
Mr Jenrick added he wanted to be “honest with myself and the country”.
He also said he had not misled voters, adding: "No, I have been honest with the British public, and that's what matters to me”.
Defection 'not driven by political ambition,' Jenrick says
12:37 , Nicole Wootton-CaneRobert Jenrick has said his defection to Reform UK was not driven by political ambition but by a belief it was the “right thing to do”.
Speaking to the BBC, Mr Jenrick said he hopes his decision will “unite the right” and urged the public to “rally behind Nigel Farage”.
He said he had taken the decision to join Reform “over a period of time” and called yesterday a “huge” day for him.
He added he now believes he has joined a party that "genuinely wants to fix this country".
Watch: 'Jenrick tells a lot of lies and you can't believe a word that comes out of his mouth'
12:30 , Nicole Wootton-CaneSadiq Khan: Jenrick defection ‘unequivocal evidence’ Reform is ‘repository for failed Conservatives’
12:21 , Nicole Wootton-CaneThe Independent’s political correspondent Athena Stavrou reports:
Sadiq Khan has ruled out that he is the rumoured Labour politician defecting to Reform UK as he labelled Nigel Farage’s party a “repository for unsuccessful, failed Conservative politicians”.
The Mayor of London said he now “doesn’t understand why anybody would vote for Reform” following Thursday’s chaotic defection and told LBC: “I got the attraction previously. I don't the attraction now. So, of course, I won't be joining reform.”
His comments come after Mr Farage claimed he would unveil a Labour defector next week.
He explained: ”If you go to a restaurant today and you have to wait for service, you have poor quality service, the bill is ridiculous, you get food poisoning and you see cockroaches running on the floor.
“Would you next week go to the restaurant a few doors down with the same chef, the same staff, the same menu, the same cockroaches running on the streets?”
Badenoch says she will not form pact with 'liars' Reform
12:15 , Nicole Wootton-CaneKemi Badenoch has said she cannot do a deal with “liars” when asked about a possible pact with Reform UK in the wake of Robert Jenrick’s defection.
Asked if she could commit to the Conservatives going into the next election alone, she told reporters in Scotland: “Yes. How do you do a deal with liars?
“How do you do a deal with people who have been saying things that were clearly not true, not just for months, but clearly for years?”
Asked if she was ruling out a potential pact with Nigel Farage’s party, she said: “I have ruled it out about a million times.”
She added: “Reform has been taking a lot of people who could not find work elsewhere.
“They’ve been taking people who are repeatedly sacked from government. And what I’m saying is that Nigel Farage is doing my spring cleaning.
“The problems are going, we are even more united than we were, because we’re a stronger team … Robert Jenrick was not a team player.”
'We don't want a Tory Party Part II': Jenrick defection gets lukewarm reception from Reform faithful
12:01 , Nicole Wootton-CaneRobert Jenrick may have been welcomed into Reform UK by its leader Nigel Farage, but he has received a more lukewarm reception from the party rank and file.
“Enough already! Reform uk please take note, you are going to lose members and voters if you don’t cap this craziness … We don’t want a Tory party Pt II,” member James Scott posted in one of the largest private Reform Facebook groups, reports The Guardian.
However, some were more enthusiastic. “Fantastic news !! I am losing count of how many potential great future leaders are now in Reform,” said Paul Rayner in a public group.
Tories feel 'betrayed' by Jenrick defection, Badenoch says
11:52 , Nicole Wootton-CaneKemi Badenoch said Robert Jenrick is now “Nigel Farage’s problem” and that he creates “instability” wherever he goes.
The Conservative Party leader told the Press Association that Tories who supported Mr Jenrick feel “betrayed” he has joined Reform UK.
Asked if she thought he could do the same to Reform, she said: “Absolutely, he’s Nigel Farage’s problem.
“Now he and his acolytes are people who create instability wherever they go, and they can go do that in Reform.
“They are a party that is just about people who want drama and intrigue – the public, quite frankly, are sick of this.
“They’re sick of all this political psycho drama. We have it with Labour as well: everybody angling to be prime minister.
“I’m getting on with the job and showing people what that what I’m doing is about public service, not personal ambition.”
Gove: 'Jenrick will always be a Tory traitor'
11:40 , Nicole Wootton-CaneMichael Gove has said Robert Jenrick will “always” be seen as a Tory traitor after his dramatic defection to Reform UK.
The former Conservative cabinet minister referred to himself as a “cautionary tale” as he said Mr Jenrick’s scathing attack on his former party would inflict lasting damage on his reputation.
The Independent’s political correspondent Athena Stavrou has this story below:
‘Jenrick will always be known as a Tory traitor’, says Michael Gove
Badenoch: 'Jenrick tells a lot of lies and you can't believe a word that comes out of his mouth'
11:26 , Nicole Wootton-CaneThe Indepedent’s political correspondent Millie Cooke reports:
"Robert Jenrick tells a lot of lies and you can't believe a word that comes out of his mouth", Kemi Badenoch has claimed in a sensational attack on her former shadow justice secretary.
She also claimed that Mr Jenrick only defected to Reform because he didn't think he could be leader of the Tory party, adding: "I'm just glad that Nigel Farage is doing my spring cleaning for me. He's taking away my problems."
The Tory leader's criticism of Mr Jenrick came after she was asked about his claim that the shadow Cabinet was unable to say that "Britain is broken", for fear of admitting the Tories' mistakes in office.
When this claim was put to her, she told GB News: "What I can tell your audience is that it's quite clear that Robert Jenrick tells a lot of lies, and you can't believe a word that comes out of his mouth.
"This is a man who was asked yesterday morning, 'are you going to defect?' And he said, 'never' to the chief whip. And then they found evidence he was going to quit."
She added: "He is leaving because he doesn't think that he could be leader, and I think that - as the actual leader, the person who beat him decisively in the leadership election - my duty is to the Conservative Party members, to our MPs, to your shadow cabinet, and make sure that they're looked after.
"People from Reform and other conservative party members have been bringing stuff to me about the actions he'd been doing to undermine the party, and I kept giving him a chance. So I'm just glad that Nigel Farage is doing my spring cleaning for me. He's taking away my problems. The Conservative Party is even more united and stronger because we've lost someone who was not a team player."
Rumours of a Labour defection to Reform 'should be taken with a pinch of salt,' Reeves says
11:14 , Nicole Wootton-CaneNigel Farage’s promise of a Labour defection to Reform next week should be taken “with a pinch of salt”, chancellor Rachel Reeves has insisted.
Asked whether she was worried or if it was her, the chancellor told ITV Tyne Tees: “Nigel Farage says a lot of things and I think we should all take those with a pinch of salt.”
It comes after Pat McFadden insisted he was “not worried” after Nigel Farage suggested there was about to be a Labour defection to Reform UK.
Tories reveal the ‘proof’ Robert Jenrick was plotting defection to Reform
11:00 , Nicole Wootton-CaneThe Conservatives have published the “proof” that Robert Jenrick had planned to defect imminently to Reform UK hours after he was dramatically sacked by Kemi Badenoch.
Publishing the documents that led to Mr Jenrick’s sacking, a Conservative Party spokesperson said: “We have taken the decision to release extracts of the evidence we have been passed of Robert Jenrick’s planned defection. We are in no doubt whatsoever about Jenrick’s involvement in the drafting of these words and his intention to stab his Conservative colleagues in the back”.
You can read the letter by clicking the link below:
Tories reveal the ‘proof’ Robert Jenrick was plotting defection to Reform
Editorial: Badenoch and Starmer are the winners from Robert Jenrick’s dismal Tory betrayal
10:45 , Nicole Wootton-Cane
Badenoch and Starmer are the winners from Robert Jenrick’s dismal Tory betrayal
Reform councillor who said he wanted to 'punch colleague in jaw' to face no further action
10:31 , Nicole Wootton-CaneA Reform councillor will face no sanctions for saying he would punch a colleague “right in the jaw” after a heated video meeting was leaked.
Kent County Councillor Peter Osborne was facing a complaint signed by leaders of the opposition groups over a message he sent in autumn last year.
It came after a video of Kent County Council’s (KCC) leader Linden Kemkaran shouting and swearing at fellow Reform members was leaked.
On a Whatsapp group with dozens of councillors, Mr Osborne wrote: “I’m hoping this mole is a bloke so I can punch him right in the jaw.”
The council has since informed KCC group leaders of the Liberal Democrats, Greens, Labour, Conservatives and Independent Reformers that their joint complaint has been rejected and no further action will be taken on the issue.
Nick Timothy 'confident' voters will listen to Badenoch
10:19 , Nicole Wootton-CaneNick Timothy has said he is “confident” that British people will listen to the Conservative Party under Kemi Badenoch’s leadership.
Speaking to GB News Breakfast on Friday following the defection of his shadow cabinet predecessor Robert Jenrick to Reform UK, the new shadow justice secretary said: “I think we’ve seen over the last several months a real, new sense of connection between the party and the country.”
When asked whether Reform UK is the only party that offers “truly radical changes,” Mr Timothy replied: “There is a world of difference between talking about radical change and then doing the very serious hard yards that mean that you’re in a position to be able to deliver that change.
“And I will speak for the Conservative Party and not for other political parties, but the Conservative Party is incredibly serious about the work that we are going to do in the months and years ahead, until we get to the next election, so that we are going to be in a position not just to promise things with rhetoric, not to make empty noises, empty slogans, but to have the really serious plans that the country needs, so that we have a new economic model, so that we can strengthen our borders again, so that we can restore our lost sense of shared identity, and we can reform the state – so that we can get things done again.
“I am confident that people will listen,” he added.
“This is backed up by polling evidence as well, that over the last several months, the country has started to listen to Kemi Badenoch and to the Conservative Party again.”
Headlines in politics
09:55 , Nicole Wootton-CaneAway from Robert Jenrick’s defection to Reform UK, here are today’s other headlines in poltics:
• Around a third of eligible councils in England are expected to delay their local elections, which were due to take place in May
• Serious criminals receiving as much as £800 a month in benefits could soon lose their entitlement under Labour proposals to close a loophole in welfare rules
• Generating sexual deepfake images without consent will become illegal within weeks, David Lammy confirmed amid an outcry over Elon Musk’s Grok AI chatbot
• Wes Streeting has called for “action” on the debate around banning under-16s from social media, as he expressed concerns that it is harming the “life chances of young people”
Everything Nigel Farage and Robert Jenrick said about each other before his dramatic defection
09:45 , Nicole Wootton-CaneIt has now been revealed that Robert Jenrick had been courting Reform since September, having dinner with Nigel Farage last month.
But the pair’s relationship has been far from smooth.
You can read everything they said about each other before Mr Jenrick’s defection below:
‘Lies’ and ‘a fraud’: Everything Farage and Jenrick have said about each other
Watch: Starmer brands Tories a ‘sinking ship’ as Jenrick defects to Reform UK
09:30 , Nicole Wootton-CaneFarage ‘couldn’t run a 5-a-side team’, Jenrick says in leaked audio
09:15 , Nicole Wootton-CaneRobert Jenrick said Nigel Farage “can’t even run a five-a-side” team as he criticised Reform UK in leaked audio from last year.
It comes after Mr Jenrick was ejected from the Conservative Party in a shock sacking for “plotting to defect”. Hours later, he announced he had joined Reform UK, the party led by Mr Farage.
But in leaked audio from March 2025, Mr Jenrick can be heard criticising his new boss and dismissing Reform UK as “not a serious party”.
The Independent’s political correspondent Athena Stavrou has this story:
Farage ‘couldn’t run a 5-a-side team’, Jenrick says in leaked audio
Nick Timothy accuses Jenrick of a 'lack of seriousness'
09:00 , Nicole Wootton-CaneRobert Jenrick’s successor Nick Timothy has said too many politicians “lack seriousness” in a swipe at his predecessor.
Speaking to GB News on Friday, the new shadow justice secretary said he did not recognise the characterisation of the Conservative Party Mr Jenrick gave during a speech at a press conference on Thursday.
Mr Timothy said: “One of the things about yesterday that I think was really important was the contrast between Kemi’s leadership as somebody who acted decisively and takes very seriously those challenges (which the country faces), and the sense of backbiting and backstabbing and the lack of seriousness that we see in too many politicians.
“We saw it actually, to be fair, towards the end of our time in government before the 2024 general election.
“We see it every day with this Labour Government, constant speculation about the future of the Prime Minister, constant U-turns, constant clamouring by members of the Cabinet for the top job.
“And we see it in the Reform Party as well.
“But what Kemi showed was clarity of thought, strength of character and that’s the kind of leadership that the country needs.”
Reform MP denies that Jenrick harbours leadership ambitions
08:45 , Nicole Wootton-CaneLee Anderson has denied reports that Robert Jenrick harbours leadership ambitions following his defection to Reform UK.
Asked whether he believes Nigel Farage can trust Mr Jenrick, the Reform chief whip told GB News on Friday: “We’ve got six MPs, all big characters, all big personalities, all want to do the right thing for their party.
“And we’re a party that believes in healthy competition.
“Does Rob want to be a leader? No, he doesn’t. He wants to be part of the team.
“He’s going to put his shoulder to the wheel and work extremely hard for Reform UK, for Newark and for this country.”
Lee Anderson says Tories 'totally out of touch' with voters
08:40 , Nicole Wootton-CaneLee Anderson has criticised the Conservative Party as “totally out of touch with their membership and their voters” after Robert Jenrick became the latest Tory MP to defect to Reform UK.
The Reform chief whip became the party’s first sitting MP after he lost the Conservative whip in February 2024.
He told GB News on Friday morning Mr Jenrick’s defection was a “big move for him”.
“We want the brightest and the very best from whatever field in this country to help us go in this country when we do win the election, whenever that may be,” Anderson said.
Referring to a popularity poll on the ConservativeHome website, which voted Mr Jenrick their MP of the year in 2024, Mr Anderson added: “It tells you a lot about the membership and the grassroots Tory party, as opposed to the parliamentary party – they are totally out of touch with their membership and their voters.”
Explained: Why Kemi Badenoch finally gave Robert Jenrick the boot
08:30 , Nicole Wootton-CaneAs she made her shock announcement that she had sacked Robert Jenrick, Kemi Badenoch said she was “very sorry” to have had to fire her shadow justice secretary.
But the pair’s relationship has been fraught with tension since they battled it out in the contest to lead the Conservative Party, just 14 months ago, write political editor David Maddox and Whitehall editor Kate Devlin.
You can read their analysis on why Jenrick was sacked yesterday below:
Why Badenoch finally gave Jenrick the boot after months of Tory power struggle
'We should be looking at social media ban for under-16s very closely', says Pat McFadden
08:13 , Athena StavrouThe Independent’s political correspondent Millie Cooke reports:
The government should be looking at a social media ban for under-16s "very closely", Cabinet minister Pat McFadden has said, amid growing speculation the policy could be pursued by ministers.
He said he was interested in the policy as both a "citizen" - because it is a "concern of parents of children growing up" - but also as the work and pensions secretary, pointing to a "great rise in mental health problems among young people that is resulting in a lot of young people claiming long term sickness benefits".
Speaking to Sky News, he added: "So there is a public policy aspect to this, as well as a parental one. So I am interested in it.
"I think we'll all be watching what has happened in Australia very closely to see how that plays out. And I think everyone wants young people to grow up in the healthiest possible environment.
"I don't say the government has made a decision on this, but I think we should be looking at this very closely, and we should be always asking ourselves how can we make sure that young people get the best start in life."
Starmer brands Tories a ‘sinking ship’ as Jenrick defects to Reform UK
08:04 , Athena StavrouJenrick was a "friend of mine", his Tory replacement says
07:50 , Athena StavrouThe Independent’s political correspondent Millie Cooke reports:
Nick Timothy, who has replaced Robert Jenrick as Tory shadow justice secretary, said his predecessor was "a friend of mine".
But he added that the public are sick of "the backbiting and the backstabbing” in British politics.
Asked whether he was friends with the former Tory, who defected to Reform UK on Thursday, the new shadow justice secretary told BBC Breakfast: “Yeah, Rob’s been a friend of mine for some time.
“It’s obviously disappointing that he’s decided to move on, but the thing is, what we learned yesterday is the clear contrast between the Conservatives led by Kemi Badenoch and the other parties and what they offer Britain today.
“The public are sick of the backbiting and the backstabbing and the lack of seriousness in our political parties when the challenges that the country faces are so serious, Kemi was given irrefutable evidence of what was about to happen, and she acted very decisively.”
'Same chaos and drama' for the Tories, says minister
07:31 , Athena StavrouPat McFadden said there was “the same chaos and drama” on the right of politics as when the Conservatives were in power.
Asked how worried he was that the right is starting to unite after a number of Tory defections to Reform UK, the Work and Pensions Secretary told Times Radio: “I don’t think what we’ve seen in the last few days is evidence of the right starting to unite.
“On the contrary, I think it’s evidence that we’re seeing more of the same chaos and drama that’s been happening on the right, which so dominated our politics during the 14 years of the Conservatives’ period in power.”
He said Labour was focused on improving public services, adding: “These are not things that can be done with politicians engaged in an endless civil war.”
Government minister 'not worried' about Labour defection to reform
07:25 , Athena StavrouPat McFadden insisted he was “not worried” after Nigel Farage suggested there was about to be a Labour defection to Reform UK.
The Work and Pensions Secretary told Times Radio: “I’m not worried, and I don’t know if that will happen but if it does, it’s still a right-wing project.
“This is a project that parrots President Putin’s line on foreign affairs, we’ve seen that most recently over Ukraine.
“It’s a project that doesn’t believe in the NHS. Nigel Farage himself has said that the model of the NHS is wrong.
“So whether it’s on foreign affairs or domestic affairs, this is a right-wing project and we will stand firmly against it.”
Everything Farage and Jenrick have said about each other in recent years
07:00 , Jane DaltonA reminder of all the jibes and insults:
‘Lies’ and ‘a fraud’: Everything Farage and Jenrick have said about each other
Tories reveal ‘proof’ Jenrick was plotting defection
06:00 , Jane DaltonA letter published by the Conservatives of wording Mr Jenrick had allegedly drafted and that were shown to Kemi Badenoch says: “Nigel has stood for the real change we need for over a decade.”
Tories reveal the ‘proof’ Robert Jenrick was plotting defection to Reform
Jenrick defects after sacking and declares Farage is leader Britain needs: Full report
05:00 , Jane DaltonJenrick defects to Reform after shock sacking and declares Farage is leader UK needs
Opinion: Sacking ‘traitor’ starts Tories' fight to death with Reform
04:00 , Jane Dalton
Sacking ‘Tory Traitor’ Jenrick marks the start of a fight to the death with Reform
Labour brand Jenrick 'shameless chancer'
03:00 , Jane DaltonLabour have branded Tory-to-Reform defector Robert Jenrick a "shameless chancer".
Labour Party chairwoman Anna Turley said: "Robert Jenrick says the Tories broke Britain. Now he wants to do the same again with Farage's Reform. He's a shameless chancer who, like the other failed Tories who have scuttled off to Reform, are more interested in their careers than the country.
"With Jenrick in tow, Reform clearly wants to deliver the same chaos and decline he did while in government.
"While the Tories and Reform argue amongst themselves, Labour is delivering on the priorities of the British people and cutting the cost of living."
Analysis: How mild-mannered MP became ‘Trumpian hellraiser’
02:00 , Jane DaltonHow mild-mannered Robert Jenrick turned into a ‘Trumpian hellraiser’
Watch: Awkward moment Farage left waiting as Jenrick fails to appear
01:00 , Jane Dalton
Awkward moment Farage left waiting as Jenrick fails to appear at own Reform unveiling
Streeting calls for action on social media ban for under-16s
Thursday 15 January 2026 23:59 , Jane Dalton
Streeting calls for ‘action’ on calls to ban under-16s from social media
