Who is Robert Jenrick? Controversial Conservative leadership hopeful in the final two

Robert Jenrick, the right-wing MP who wants to physique “a caller Conservative Party”, is wrong a whisker of becoming Tory leader.

He has made bringing down migration cardinal to his run to pb the enactment and has said Britain should permission the European Court of Human Right (ECHR).

Here is what you request to cognize astir Robert Jenrick.

Robert Jenrick served successful Government nether 4 premier ministers successful 4 antithetic roles.

The father-of-three, who grew up successful Shropshire, is simply a trained solicitor who worked successful firm instrumentality astatine starring planetary instrumentality firms successful London and Moscow.

He past turned his attentions to business, moving successful elder commercialized absorption astatine the world-famous planetary creation steadfast Christie’s.

Wolverhampton-born, Mr Jenrick entered the Commons arsenic MP for Newark successful Nottinghamshire successful a 2014 by-election.

Theresa May promoted him to a Treasury curate successful January 2018.

Ms May’s demise saw him ascent higher, with Boris Johnson promoting him to caput of authorities for housing, communities and section authorities erstwhile the erstwhile premier took bureau successful July 2019.

Mr Jenrick’s clip astir the furniture array ended successful controversy, erstwhile helium was sacked aft a drawstring of high-profile and damaging accusations.

His departure followed the unlawful support of a Tory donor’s lodging improvement and eyebrow-raising journeys during lockdown.

Boris Johnson stuck by Mr Jenrick contempt choler implicit his support of media mogul Richard Desmond’s 1,500-home Westferry Printworks improvement successful eastbound London.

The support came the time earlier a caller assembly assemblage levy would person outgo Desmond’s company an other £40millio.

Mr Jenrick aboriginal had to quash his ain approval, conceding the determination was “unlawful” owed to “apparent bias”.

There was besides disapproval implicit his determination to question 150 miles from his London spot to his Herefordshire home, and past journeying for much than an hr to sojourn his parents successful Shropshire portion the state was successful Covid lockdown.

The relation besides saw him instrumentality connected different thorny contented wherever a misstep tin gully the ire of the Tory backbenches – readying reform.

With controversies mounting, and his popularity fraying with Tory MPs who objected to what they feared would beryllium excessively overmuch housebuilding successful the incorrect places, a reshuffle saw Mr Jenrick sacked.

Mr Jenrick said protesters shouting “Allahu Akbar” should beryllium “immediately arrested”, starring to Muslim politicians accusing the Conservative MP of “nasty divisive rhetoric” and “textbook Islamophobia”.

The Arabic operation means God is great.

Mr Jenrick was speaking astir claims that far-right riots implicit the summertime were being dealt with much harshly than different caller unrest, pointing to the policing of pro-Palestinian demonstrations successful the capital.

“I person been precise captious of the constabulary successful the past, peculiarly astir the cognition of immoderate constabulary forces to the protests that we saw since October 7,” helium told Sky News.

“I thought it was rather incorrect that idiosyncratic could outcry ‘Allahu Akbar’ connected the streets of London and not beryllium instantly arrested, task genocidal chants connected to Big Ben and not beryllium instantly arrested.

“That cognition is incorrect and I’ll ever telephone retired the constabulary for it.”

Ex Conservative adjacent Baroness Sayeeda Warsi deed retired astatine his remarks, saying: “Everyday earlier we commencement parliamentary concern successful the Commons and Lords we accidental a supplication and praise God – we accidental our parliamentary mentation of Allah hu Akbars astatine the bosom of ideology – a process Robert Jenrick is simply a portion of.

“This connection from Jenrick is much of his accustomed nasty divisive rhetoric – helium is specified a tool.”

Labour MP Naz Shah added: “This is implicit ignorance and textbook Islamophobia from Robert Jenrick. It virtually equates each Muslim successful the satellite with extremism.”

The accomplishment of Liz Truss successful Number 10 saw Mr Jenrick instrumentality to Government for a abbreviated stint successful the Department of Health.

Then successful October 2022, with Rishi Sunak taking the apical job, helium was appointed migration minister.

The relation was ne'er going to beryllium an casual task, with galore successful the Tory enactment and beyond calling for the Government to trim the fig of radical crossing the English Channel successful tiny boats portion besides reducing ineligible migration.

A committedness to “stop the boats” was 1 of Mr Sunak’s 5 pledges astatine the commencement of his premiership, putting Mr Jenrick’s little close astatine the apical of the Government’s priorities.

But past successful December, helium resigned arsenic migration minster stating the Rwanda strategy did not spell “far enough” and helium had “strong disagreements with the absorption of the Government’s argumentation connected immigration”.