Robert Jenrick accepts role in Kemi Badenoch's top team

According to the BBC, Robert Jenrick has taken on the role of shadow justice secretary within Kemi Badenoch's leadership team.

The newly appointed leader of the Tory party is anticipated to appoint Dame Priti Patel as the shadow foreign secretary and Mel Stride as the shadow chancellor.

Dame Priti, Stride, and Jenrick were all contenders competing against Badenoch in the Conservative leadership contest, where Badenoch ultimately triumphed over Jenrick in the last round.

By bringing in not just past opponents but also individuals from various factions within the party, Badenoch aims to bring the Conservatives together following a tough loss in the election.

There was some back-and-forth regarding which role, if any, Jenrick would accept. During the discussions, a Conservative source who is not closely associated with the leadership mentioned to the BBC: "Kemi really isn’t fond of Rob. She believes his ongoing comments about her and her policies have harmed her reputation with the right-wing and Reform voters."

"This is expected to fall apart even more."

The two candidates had a disagreement in the last weeks of the leadership race, with Jenrick charging that Badenoch was "disrespectful" to Conservative members for not clearly outlining her policies.

Badenoch stated that she wouldn't have chosen that word herself. She also stood up for her own methods, explaining that she doesn't commit to anything unless she has a clear plan for how to follow through.

After the contest ended, the two candidates shared kind sentiments with each other.

During her victory speech on Saturday, Badenoch commended Jenrick for his "enthusiasm and commitment," stating, "We both understand that our views align more than they differ, and I am confident that you will be an essential part of our party for years ahead."

Jenrick, in response, praised his rival for her victory and encouraged fellow Conservatives to come together in support of the new leader.

On Monday, a friend of Jenrick mentioned, "Rob believes the party should unite and challenge Labour."

Unity is absolutely crucial right now. He’s enthusiastic about highlighting Labour’s poor history regarding law and order.

An official declaration of Badenoch's complete shadow cabinet is anticipated prior to their initial meeting on Tuesday.

Laura Trott, who previously served as Chief Secretary to the Treasury, has been assigned the role of shadow education secretary. Meanwhile, Neil O'Brien has been appointed as the shadow education minister.

Trott and O'Brien have made their debut in their new positions during the Education Questions session in the House of Commons.

According to the BBC, Nigel Huddleston and Lord Dominic Johnson have been named as co-chairs of the Conservative Party.

This comes after the appointment of Castle Point MP Dame Rebecca Harris as the Conservative Party's chief whip on Sunday night.

Dame Priti, the newly appointed shadow foreign secretary, has been the MP for Witham in Essex since 2010 and has held various positions in government while the Conservatives were in charge.

In 2017, she had to step down from her position as international development secretary after having unauthorized meetings with officials from Israel. However, Boris Johnson later reinstated her in the government and appointed her as the home secretary, a high-ranking position.

While working at the Home Office, she initiated a policy regarding Rwanda that sought to discourage individuals from making risky crossings of the English Channel in small boats by sending them to the East African nation. However, this policy was later abandoned by the incoming Labour government.

A well-known advocate for Brexit, she is viewed as leaning towards the conservative side of the party. In contrast, Stride has a more progressive background.

Similar to Dame Priti, he became a member of Parliament in 2010, securing the Central Devon seat, and has held various positions in different government departments since then.

A close supporter of Rishi Sunak, he was appointed as the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and was relied upon to make regular appearances in the media during the general election.

On Sunday, Badenoch mentioned to the BBC that she believed taxes were set too high during Sunak's time, yet she has now appointed one of his key supporters to the highly desired position of shadow chancellor.

Laura Trott held the position of chief secretary to the Treasury in Rishi Sunak's administration.

Laura Trott, the newly appointed shadow education secretary, has been the Member of Parliament for Sevenoaks in Kent since 2019. She previously held the position of deputy at the Treasury when Jeremy Hunt was the chancellor.

Neil O'Brien has represented the Harborough, Oadby, and Wigston constituency since 2017 and recently served as a health minister. In November 2023, he stepped down from Rishi Sunak's government and began to adopt a more critical viewpoint regarding the prime minister from his position as a backbencher.

Trott and Huddleston backed Badenoch for the leadership position, while O'Brien chose to support her competitor, Jenrick.

The existing Labour government consists of 120 ministers, which could pose a challenge for the Conservatives in terms of effectively opposing all those roles, especially since they only have 121 Members of Parliament.

Last week, James Cleverly, the ex-Home Secretary and unsuccessful candidate for party leadership, stated that he would not be joining the shadow cabinet. In an interview with the Financial Times, he expressed that after spending 16 years on the front lines of politics, he felt a sense of freedom and was "not really inclined" to return to a constrained role.

Former Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, ex-Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden, former Deputy Foreign Secretary Andrew Mitchell, and ex-Environment Secretary Steve Barclay have all announced their decision to step back to the backbenches and not take on any roles in the new shadow cabinet.