𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

A former Conservative activist who advised Boris Johnson has been named as the mastermind behind Robert Jenrick’s sensational defection to Reform. Tim Montgomerie, who quit the Tories himself to join Reform in December 2024, was the person who put Mr Jenrick in touch with Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, it has emerged.

Mr Montgomerie, a well-known and popular figure at Westminster, advised Mr Johnson on social issues for a period in 2019, when Boris was Prime Minister. Before that, he worked as a speech-writer for two Conservative Party leaders, William Hague, and Iain Duncan Smith. He founded a website called Conservative Home which remains popular with Conservative activists today, though he is no longer involved.

The Times reports that Mr Jenrick had been in talks with Nigel Farage for four months before the defection was confirmed this week. Mr Jenrick initially made contact through Mr Montgomerie.

In September last year, Mr Montgomerie phoned Mr Farage to tell him that Mr Jenrick was interested in defecting.

The Times reports that Mr Farage sent Mr Jenrick a text, and encouraged him to continue talking to Mr Montgomerie until he reached a firm decision.

It was in November last year that Mr Jenrick and Mr Farage began talking directly.

Nick Timothy, who has replaced Robert Jenrick as Shadow Justice Secretary in the Conservative Shadow Cabinet, praised Tory leader Kemi Badenoch today.

He said the dramatic defection showed “the contrast between Kemi’s leadership as somebody who acted decisively and takes very seriously those challenges, 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.”