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‘He’s a turncoat’: How Robert Jenrick’s angry constituents could vote him out
Developing
In Short: Angry constituents in Newark-on-Trent, a traditional Tory stronghold, are considering voting against MP Robert Jenrick after his defection to Reform UK.
Robert Jenrick, the 67-year-old MP for Newark-on-Trent, is facing a backlash from constituents after defecting to Reform UK earlier this year.
Kate Wood, an optometrist and artist from Newark-on-Trent, expressed her disappointment, calling Jenrick a 'turncoat'.
Chris Dunn, an 80-year-old long-time Conservative voter, believes Jenrick has earned some personal loyalty due to his accessibility and efforts in the town, such as building a new link road.
However, Brunning, a cafe manager, is concerned about Jenrick's stance on cutting disability benefits, including withdrawing support from nearly three million people on Personal Independence Payment (PIP).
Recent polling suggests that if a general election were held today, the Conservative Party would retake the seat with 37 per cent of the vote, unseating Jenrick.
Jenrick won the 2024 election with a majority of 3,571, but his defection marks the first time a non-Conservative has represented the Nottinghamshire constituency since 2001.
Nathan Chaney, a 23-year-old Green voter, is confident Jenrick will lose his seat, believing that Conservative voters might not need to vote tactically to ensure his defeat.
What's still developing
- “I think people will think, we might be better off with the devil we know,” the 56-year-old said, speculating that many Conservative voters wouldn’t jump ship to back Jenrick.
- “People are going to vote Tory because that’s what they’ve always done,” the barista said.
- A keen runner impressed with Jenrick for joining the Newark Park Run, Dunn believes any impending election in the area would be a “hard call” but that the MP would still win, with some long-time Conservative voters like himself switching to Reform to back Jenrick.
- He said he and his wife used to vote Labour but have now “seen the light” and will be voting Reform from now on, echoing many of the party’s talking points.
- She said she can’t vote for Jenrick because he doesn’t understand the issues his constituents face.
Sources
- The i Paperlink