In a short 18 months, Robert Jenrick has gone from a little-recognised Junior Minister to a true Tory titan. He held ministerial office under three different Prime Ministers before eventually resigning in protest over government immigration policy and has since emerged as a leading voice on border control and legal reform.
Once seen as a moderate ally of Rishi Sunak, Jenrick has repositioned himself as a hardliner, increasingly appealing to former Tory voters that are eyeing up Reform.
With the Tories, it’s safe to say, facing an uphill electoral battle and a fight for their political identity, Robert Jenrick’s voice has grown louder. He is now the key figure to watch in Tory politics – but is he as inevitable as he seems.
Road to Westminster
Born in Wolverhampton, Jenrick took a traditional path to politics. He read history at St John’s College, Cambridge, and completed postgraduate studies in political science at the University of Pennsylvania. Before entering politics, he built a career in corporate law and then business.
In 2014, Robert Jenrick entered Parliament following by-election in Newark following a lobbying scandal. Jenrick held off a strong UKIP challenge and to secure the seat. His arrival in Westminster was met with little fanfare, but his rapid ascent began soon after. He became Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury under Theresa May and was promoted to Housing Secretary by Boris Johnson in 2019, becoming one of the youngest Cabinet members since World War II, at just 37.
As Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Jenrick championed planning reform and housebuilding, though not without controversy. His tenure was overshadowed by a scandal – his intervention in a £1 billion property development linked to Tory donor Richard Desmond. While Jenrick denied wrongdoing, the incident tarnished his reputation and drew criticism from opposition MPs who accused him of “cash for favours”.
After a brief period on the backbenches, Robert Jenrick returned to government in September 2022 as Minister of State for Health under Prime Minister Liz Truss. He was soon appointed Minister of State for Immigration by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in October 2022, where he adopted a hardline stance on immigration, advocating for stringent policies, including the controversial Rwanda deportation plan.
Following the Conservative Party’s defeat in the 2024 general election, Jenrick launched a leadership bid, positioning himself as a candidate who could reconnect the party with its base through a focus on immigration control and national identity. Although he lost to Kemi Badenoch, Jenrick’s campaign influenced the party’s ideological direction. He was subsequently appointed as Shadow Secretary of State for Justice in November 2024, a role he continues to hold.
Views and Values
Robert Jenrick’s political evolution has been marked by a significant shift from his early days as a centrist “One Nation” Conservative to a prominent figure on the party’s right wing. Initially perceived as a moderate, Jenrick’s time as Immigration Minister under Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was characterised by his advocacy for stringent immigration policies, most notably the controversial Rwanda deportation plan. His resignation in December 2023 over disagreements with the government’s approach to this plan underscored his hardline stance on immigration.
Beyond immigration, Jenrick has been vocal about cultural integration, making contentious statements that have sparked widespread criticism. He suggested that some immigrant communities possess “medieval attitudes towards women,” and ordered the removal of children’s murals at an asylum seeker reception centre, arguing they were “too welcoming.”
Robert Jenrick’s rhetoric reflects a broader ideological positioning that emphasises national sovereignty, cultural cohesion, and a scepticism of supranational institutions. He has advocated for the UK’s withdrawal from the European Convention on Human Rights, arguing that it hampers effective immigration control. This stance aligns him with a segment of the Conservative base that favours a more assertive approach to national governance and legal autonomy.
His views have found resonance among certain voter demographics, particularly those concerned about immigration and national identity. However, they have also alienated moderates and raised concerns about the party’s direction under his influence. The internal debate within the Conservative Party about balancing firm immigration control with inclusive rhetoric continues to be a point of contention, with Robert Jenrick often at the centre of these discussions.
Conservative Leadership Race
Following the Conservative Party’s historic defeat in the 2024 general election – a loss widely attributed to disillusionment over high immigration figures, economic stagnation, and perceived managerial drift under Rishi Sunak – the stage was set for a leadership battle that would define the party’s ideological direction.
Robert Jenrick, by then one of the most recognisable faces on the party’s right flank, was quick to announce his candidacy. Pitching himself as the man to reconnect the party with its base, Robert Jenrick promised a bold reset on immigration, national identity and state reform: themes he argued had been neglected by the government and exploited by Reform UK under Nigel Farage.
Crucially, Jenrick performed strongly in the early rounds of the parliamentary ballot. He gained more endorsements from sitting MPs than any other candidate in the first round, and attracted substantial backing, raising over £250,000 – the highest among the leadership contenders.
Significant contributions came from donors linked to the housing and finance sectors, reflecting his reputation as a pro-growth economic liberal. However, some of these donations drew scrutiny; for instance, a £75,000 contribution from Spott Fitness, a company with no employees and significant debts, raised questions about the transparency and origins of his campaign funding.
According to The Times, Robert Jenrick’s campaign was especially popular among 2019-intake MPs representing Red Wall seats, who viewed him as a “conviction politician” with a clear offer to disillusioned Conservative voters.
When the membership ballot concluded in August 2024, Badenoch emerged as the winner with 56.5% of the vote to Jenrick’s 43.5%. While respectable, Jenrick’s defeat confirmed the limits of an immigration-first strategy in a party still divided between traditionalists, modernisers and populists.
‘Leader in Waiting’ – Could Robert Jenrick replace Kemi Badenoch?
When Kemi Badenoch was elected leader of the Conservative Party following the 2024 general election defeat, her supporters hoped her uncompromising rhetoric, cultural conservatism and clarity of message would reconnect the party with disillusioned voters, particularly those who had defected to Reform UK. Her rise was framed as a bold generational shift, aimed at recapturing media attention and re-establishing the Tories as a party of ideas and stability.
But Badenoch’s leadership has so far fallen short of expectations. Her performances at Prime Minister’s Questions have been inconsistent, she has struggled to unify the parliamentary party, and regularly fails to capture media attention. These weaknesses were clearly highlighted by the Conservatives’ disastrous showing in the May 2025 local elections, where the party lost over 600 council seats, lost control of traditional strongholds, and fell to fourth place in national projected vote share – behind Reform, Labour, and the Liberal Democrats.
The results have also intensified internal discontent and triggered a fresh round of speculation about Badenoch’s future. According to The Independent, senior Conservative MPs are now privately urging Robert Jenrick to mount a fresh challenge. Some of the party’s most outspoken figures have gone public with their disillusionment. One senior MP reportedly messaged Jenrick to “get his act together” and stand, while a former Badenoch ally warned, “We have a choice of replacing her with Robert or a lot of us switching to Reform.”
Robert Jenrick himself has done little to dispel speculation. In April 2025, a leaked recording emerged in which he called for a realignment on the political right, warning that Reform could become a permanent threat unless the Conservatives found a way to cooperate. Days later, he sent a campaign-style letter to hundreds of local Tory candidates – pointedly omitting any reference to Badenoch.
In the aftermath of the harrowing local elections defeat, Jenrick notably took the lead in media rounds, while party leader Kemi Badenoch remained mostly absent from public appearances – and spent much of the next day “doomscrolling” according to insiders.
In summary, while Robert Jenrick has adopted several right-wing positions in recent years, his political evolution suggests a strategic approach aimed at uniting various factions within the Conservative Party. His ability to bridge the gap between centrist and right-wing ideologies positions him as a unique figure in the party’s ongoing efforts to redefine its identity – and might lead him to the top if things don’t improve for the Tories under Badenoch.
Featured image via The Conservative Party on Flickr.
