Inside Robert Jenrick’s decision to turn on his friend Rishi Sunak
Robert Jenrick was once Rishi Sunak’s closest political ally, but according to insiders the friendship had become increasingly strained by the events of the last few months.
The alliance finally snapped on Wednesday night when Mr Jenrick sensationally quit as immigration minister, citing concerns over the Prime Minister’s draft Rwanda legislation, claiming it did not go far enough.
What will concern Mr Sunak most, however, was how much of a surprise the decision to resign was, with many in No 10 and even the Home Office caught completely unawares by his exit at the eleventh hour.
Even Home Secretary James Cleverly did not know about the resignation until he was passed a note, while taking questions in the Commons chamber about the proposed legislation.
A source close to Mr Cleverly lamented Mr Jenrick’s decision. “We have always worked well with Robert, both when James was in the Foreign Office working on international deals and then in the last three weeks in the Home Office, so it’s a real shame.”
Downing Street had assumed that the former immigration minister was on board, having been heavily involved in drawing up the bill that would eventually be the straw that broke his ministerial back.
According to one source close to Mr Jenrick, although the final decision to resign was made late on Wednesday night, the insider added: “He had been thinking about quitting for a couple of weeks before this.”
His departure brought to a head several weeks of chaos behind the scenes in the Home Office as the department and No 10 frantically sought to draw up emergency legislation that would allow the Government to deliver on its promise to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda.
One Home Office insider told i that this week had been chaotic in the department, with the chaos reaching a dysfunctional crescendo on Wednesday as No 10 became gripped with indecision over whether it should publish the Rwanda Bill.
According to sources, Downing Street had taken the decision on Tuesday evening not to go ahead with the Bill on Wednesday, but repeated u-turns followed.
The department was eventually told to be ready to announce the plans by 4pm, before a fresh spanner was thrown into the work when the Home Office fire alarm went off, leaving officials stuck outside in the December gloom 10 minutes before they were due to hit send.
i understands that the Prime Minister was more concerned about the reaction from MPs in the moderate One Nation caucus of the parliamentary party, as the bill went further than many had predicted.
No 10 had priced in Suella Braverman’s rejection of the legislation, who had earlier in the day warned that the party faced electoral “oblivion” if it did not comprehensively deal with the small boat crossings.
But given the strength of the provisions within the bill, particularly measures to disapply the Human Rights Act and the Refugee Convention, there was greater concern over the response from the more moderate wing of the party.
Tories were, therefore, left perplexed by Mr Jenrick’s decision to quit given the bill was not met with fury or outrage from either wing of the party, initially at least.
It is understood that the MP for Newark will lay low for the next few days, but No 10 will be anxious to avoid Mr Jenrick speaking out against the legislation from the backbenches as it negotiates its way through the Commons.
In his resignation letter, the 41 year old highlighted his close relationship with Mr Sunak, stating: “You and I have been friends for a long time. In cabinet, I have seen up close your hard work, dedication and the deep sense of public service that drives you every day.”
But he warned that the “fortunes of the Conservative Party are at stake” if the Government does not make good on its pledge to do “whatever it takes” to end the flow of migrant crossings.
Mr Sunak must now fear that his friendship with Mr Jenrick may not be the only victim of the ongoing small boats crisis – his party’s success at the next election may well fall foul too.
