Robert Jenrick has been accused of previously “siding with Strasbourg” after GB News unearthed the Newark MP’s pro-European Union comments ahead of the 2016 Brexit referendum.
The ex-Immigration Minister, who saw off a challenge from Shadow Home Secretary James Cleverly to reach the members ballot, was forced to reassure Tory MPs about his right-wing credentials amid speculation about a pivot to the centre.
Jenrick entered the Tory leadership race as the only contender unequivocally dedicated to leaving the European Convention on Human Rights.
However, Jenrick’s critics have cast doubt on his cast-iron commitment after a number of pro-Brussels remarks were unearthed by GB News.
Robert Jenrick is going up against Kemi Badenoch in the Tory leadership race
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Jenrick was far from enthusiastic about remaining in the Brussels bloc but echoed pro-EU doomsters when it came to expressing concerns about backing Brexit.
Speaking at Prime Minister’s Questions in June 2016, Jenrick said: “Today, British manufacturers—particularly small businesses—are worried because if we leave the European Union, they will continue to make their products to common European standards because they value the free market.
“They value the single market and want to export, but they are aware that the United Kingdom will have no say whatsoever in the formulation of those standards, and their competitive advantage will be destroyed.”
Writing in March 2016, the Newark MP added: “I am concerned about the short-term risks of leaving in terms of job losses, delays in investment coming to the UK and risks to small businesses as well as the larger ones.
“If we vote to leave there would, no doubt, be risks for several years and there would be considerable uncertainty, but I am sure as a country we would pull through it.”
After GB News unearthed Jenrick’s comments, some Eurosceptics appeared to dismiss Jenrick’s conversion.
“There’s no shame in Rob being a staunch Remainer back in 2016,” a Brexit-backing Tory said.
“But it does make me worry about what he really believes in. We had the same with Truss.
“I want to trust that he’s now someone who cares about immigration numbers and will fight the European Courts on deportation, but his history shows he’s always sided with Strasbourg.”
The ECHR is not directly connected with the EU as it was in fact the Council of Europe that created the treaty in 1950.
However, given all 27 member states have signed up, the EU is considering accession to make it possible for Brussels to respond to complaints of human rights violations.
Reform UK also put pressure on Jenrick after the ex-Immigration Minister vowed to put the populist party “out of business”.
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Robert Jenrick campaigning alongside Ken Clarke to remain in the EU
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A Reform UK source told GB News: “Robert Jenrick can’t escape the reality that he voted remain, he tried to keep us in the European Union with open borders and in Government he sat around the cabinet table supporting decisions that left us with the highest immigration figures on record.
“The reality is, Robert Jenrick wants us to believe he has had a Damascus-like conversion but his recent record paints a very different picture.
“If voters want secure borders, lower taxes and a party that proudly stands up for British people, then Reform UK is the only option.”
However, Jenrick appears to have pivoted on Brexit since the referendum and is now accusing French President Emmanuel Macron of wanting to punish the UK via the Channel crossing crisis after Britain voted to leave the Brussels bloc.
Jenrick, who came second to Kemi Badenoch by just one vote in the second ballot of Tory MPs, has made leaving the ECHR a key cornerstone of his Tory leadership bid.
In his leadership campaign, Jenrick has repeatedly said: “It’s leave or remain. I’m for leave.”
The 42-year-old has even warned that withdrawing from the ECHR is key to the Tory Party’s survival and alleged that the SAS is being forced to kill rather than capture terrorists due to rulings made by the Strasbourg court.
Speaking to GB News earlier this week, Jenrick said: “I have come to the firm conclusion that we will not secure our borders, we won’t get foreign criminals out of our country, we won’t tackle terrorism unless we leave the European Convention on Human Rights.
“It is not a reform bill, it’s an organisation of 46 countries from Iceland to Andorra. You’ll never get unanimity to change it, so you have to leave.”
He added: “That is what I want to persuade the public of. If we don’t do that, then I’m afraid we will not get a grip on those really important issues.
“And the public are not going to give us a second or a third chance if we don’t take serious action now to fix these problems.”
Conservative Party leadership candidate Robert Jenrick delivers a speech during the Conservative Party Conference at the International Convention Centre in Birmingham
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Jenrick even expressed a desire to force Tory grandees to sign up to support a withdrawal in order to serve in his Shadow Cabinet.
However, Jenrick yesterday denied privately telling Tory MPs he would pivot back to the centre if he defeats Badenoch next month.
“I don’t know where that quote comes from, and I wouldn’t believe everything you read in the papers,” he said.
Pressed on the matter, Jenrick told the BBC: “I haven’t said that, no.”
Responding to criticisms about Jenrick’s former support for the EU, the ex-Immigration Minister’s allies were keen to point out how many Eurosceptics now back the Newark MP’s leadership bid.
A Jenrick-supporting source told GB News: “He’s got the backing of Lord Frost, Jacob Rees-Mogg and Mark Francois – the Brexiteers are literally all backing him.”
Another insider said: “Rob has not made it a secret that he was a reluctant Remainer.
“He spoke about the EU’s flaws but was worried about the Government not being able to take up the advantages.
“However, every single prominent Brexiteer is backing Rob. You can’t get more pro-Brexit than David Frost.”
Jenrick penned a joint article with Lord Frost in The Telegraph in April vowing to get Brexit back on track.
The pair said: “The party needs a serious strategy that definitively finishes the Brexit job, delivers our Brexit opportunities to enable reform and change in the interests of everyone in this country – and allows the British people to govern ourselves once again as a free people. Now may be the last chance for Conservatives to make it happen.”
Jenrick and Frost added: “Our economic problems stem not from Brexit but from deep-rooted issues like low productivity, poor planning, high immigration, and the high tax burden.
“Leaving the single market and customs union cost under one per cent of GDP.
“Since then Britain has grown faster than France, Germany, or Italy, and UN figures this month show that Britain is the world’s fourth largest exporter.
“With a new reforming economic strategy – one driven by a more effective and entrepreneurial state, not one that picks winners, but which can spot where structural reforms are needed and deliver them rapidly – we can do even better.”
A Tory MP separately revealed why many have been convinced by Jenrick’s stance on the ECHR, including figures from inside the Leave-supporting European Research Group.
The Brexit-backing MP told GB News: “He has done a really good job of explaining why we need to leave ECHR, and that is clearly informed by some of the problems he saw while at the Home Office.
“It is quite rare for someone to resign on an issue of principle but I think on illegal immigration Rob has been completely vindicated. He is clearly sincere and has thought a lot about it and is very persuasive on this.”
Ex-Brexit Opportunities Minister Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg also threw his weight behind Jenrick’s leadership bid during his GB News show State of the Nation this week.
He said: “I think he understands the depth of the challenge the country faces and has the gumption to do something about it.”
Despite Jenrick receiving the support of a number of pro-Brexit Tories, Badenoch can also call on the backing of Brexit bigwigs such as David Davis and Sir Iain Duncan Smith.
However, Badenoch appeared to concede Brexit was not working during an interview with The Sun.
She said: “We’ll leave the EU, we’ll have [a] cap, we’ll do this and that and none of those things have worked. Why are they not working? If we don’t ask ourselves, ‘why are they not working?’ then we’re making the same mistake.”
Badenoch, who made a couple of conference blunders before topping the fourth ballot of Tory MPs, has clashed with Jenrick on leaving the ECHR throughout the 2024 Conservative Party leadership race.
She said: “Starting with leaving just shows that we haven’t learned the lessons of Brexit – or even net zero – where we say we’re going to do this thing without working out the consequences.”
Jenrick separately argued: “There are others, like Kemi, who argue that we should seek to reform our membership of the European Court. That is a fantasy.”
Badenoch and Jenrick continue to campaign for votes from 170,000 Tory Party members after polls opened on October 10.
The victor will be declared on November 2 after 1922 Committee chairman Bob Blackman rejected calls to bring forward the result to precede Rachel Reeves’ maiden Budget.
GB News’ Christopher Hope will chair a two-hour special programme with Badenoch and Jenrick next Thursday as the pair set out their visions for the Conservative Party and UK.
Both candidates will face scrutiny for 40 minutes after making an initial five minute pitch in front of a live audience of Tory Party members.
Decision Time: The Race to Lead will air on The People’s Channel from 7pm on October 17.
