Newark MP Robert Jenrick launches campaign to become leader of the Conservative party
Tory leadership hopeful Robert Jenrick said the people of Newark “embody the best values of our country”.
He kicked off his speech launching his bid to be Tory leader, replacing Rishi Sunak, by praising members of his constituency as “doers” and “makers” who are “proud of our history, they would never denigrate our country.”
Despite the Tory losses at the general election, Mr Jenrick said: “We defeated Labour, we squeezed Reform, we defied the polls and we won here in Newark.”
He said: “I want to breathe new life into our party with a new spirit in which we respect the membership of this party.”
Part of how the Tories should do this is by ensuring members can choose candidates for elections again, he said.
“I want to grow this party. I want to become a mass membership organisation once again,” Mr Jenrick added.
The Newark MP and former immigration minister is one of six candidates battling it out to replace Rishi Sunak. The others are James Cleverly, Kemi Badenoch, Tom Tugendhat, Mel Stride, and Priti Patel, all of whom are former government ministers.
Mr Jenrick, who was first elected to the Commons in 2014, is expected to campaign on a tough stance of cutting immigration and pulling out of the European Convention on Human Rights.
He’s previously said Mr Sunak’s party had been “unable or unwilling” to do what was required to reduce net migration.
Mr Jenrick resigned from Mr Sunak’s government last year, claiming that the plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda did not go far enough.
“I believe that anyone who comes here illegally must be deported within days,” he said in his pitch to replace Mr Sunak.
Who is Robert Jenrick?
Robert Jenrick is hardly a household name. But to those who know of the MP for Newark in Nottinghamshire, his is a name that often sparks debate.
From housing plans to pandemic response efforts, and a high-profile resignation, Jenrick's career has been a mix of ambition and controversies.
Jenrick first made waves as Secretary of State for Housing, Communities, and Local Government in 2019.
He appeared determined to tackle the UK’s housing crisis with plans to build more homes faster. His goal? Cut through the red tape and get construction moving.
Some cheered his efforts, saying they were long overdue, while others worried he was sidelining local councils and communities, leading to potential overdevelopment and loss of local control.
Despite his aims - national housebuilding targets were missed year after year.
When COVID-19 hit, Jenrick was at the forefront, helping local councils keep essential services running by distributing emergency funds.
His actions were generally appreciated, but critics argued the money wasn't enough and questioned how it was distributed.
The biggest storm Jenrick faced was the Westferry Printworks scandal. He was accused of rushing through a planning decision that favoured a Conservative Party donor, Richard Desmond, allegedly saving him millions of pounds.
Jenrick denied any wrongdoing, but the whole affair raised a lot of eyebrows and left some questioning his integrity.
Then there were personal missteps, like traveling to his second home during lockdown, which many saw as hypocritical given the strict travel rules everyone else had to follow.
It didn't do much to improve his public image.
Most recently, Jenrick worked as Immigration Minister, appointed by Rishi Sunak in October 2022.
He tried to bring the record number of immigrants to the UK down - including through the controversial Rwanda asylum plan which was designed to deter illegal immigration by sending asylum seekers to Rwanda for processing.
In July 2023 though, Jenrick resigned, citing disagreements over immigration policies.
He reportedly clashed with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak about how to handle the increasing number of asylum seekers and illegal immigration.
Jenrick wanted stricter measures, highlighting ongoing divisions within the government on this hot-button issue.
Jenrick did get praise for trying to support local economies, through his work to rejuvenate town centers and high streets with funds like the Future High Streets Fund which aimed to breathe new life into struggling areas.
Robert Jenrick’s political career has been anything but dull. To some, he's a reformer with a clear vision for solving big problems.
To others, he's a politician plagued by controversy and questionable decisions.
His story could be about to change rapidly if he’s elected leader - in which case most of what’s gone before will likely not even feature.
Jenrick will hope in decades to come when his story is told, it will start in Newark and end in Downing Street.
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