On Thursday, Badenoch woke before dawn and made the final decision to sack Jenrick. She sat down in front of her home computer to record a video announcing that he had been sacked from the shadow cabinet and suspended from the Conservative Party.
She then rushed to catch a flight to Scotland.
Jenrick’s allies say he was in his office in Westminster later that morning when he received a call from Tory chief whip Rebecca Harris.
She told him what the party had discovered. He protested his innocence and ended the call abruptly. Within minutes, Badenoch’s team had posted her video.
Soon after, Jenrick had a brief call with Nigel Farage. “It was quick”, says one Reform source. They said: ‘We’re on: let’s do it today’.”
Jenrick’s allies argue his defection was the biggest moment of his career, and he feels “liberated” to have got it out the way.
“At very little notice and under immense pressure he delivered a speech and Q&A to the media incredibly well”, one says. “There were no slip-ups.”
“I think it nullifies a massive Tory attack – that Reform are one man band and not serious. Because Rob is very serious.”
Badenoch’s supporters argue her improving performance in prime minister’s questions and in the opinion polls in recent months meant Jenrick’s chances of unseating her as Tory leader were vanishingly small.
“It’s not because Kemi is failing that he’s done this. It’s because she’s succeeding”, say one in the shadow cabinet.
“It’s made it more difficult to get the top job. He has no chance of being leader before 2029. So why stay?”