Timing and newsroom reaction

After being sensationally sacked from the shadow cabinet and suspended from the Conservative party, Robert Jenrick has defected to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK. Kemi Badenoch said she made the decision to sack her shadow justice secretary after she was presented with ‘irrefutable evidence’ that he was planning to defect. Jenrick was Badenoch’s leadership rival and had long been said to have been prepared to do a deal with Farage. Lucy Hough speaks to the Guardian’s head of national news, Archie Bland – watch on YouTube. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus