One in five Britons is now more likely to vote for Reform UK after Robert Jenrick defected from the Conservatives on Thursday.

Snap polling data following the Shadow Justice Minister’s move has shed light on the impact it has had on the fortunes of Nigel Farage’s party.

Dramatic scenes unfolded this week as Tory leader Kemi Badenoch announced that Mr Jenrick had been sacked from the Shadow Cabinet and suspended from the party after his plans to change sides were uncovered.

Later that day, the former Justice minister appeared alongside Nigel Farage to announce he would now be Reform UK’s sixth MP.

Fresh data from Merlin, shared exclusively with GB News, showed that a fifth of Britons were now compelled to vote for Reform following Mr Jenrick’s defection.

Nineteen per cent of those polled were now tempted to back Mr Farage’s party, trumping the 13 per cent who said they were now less likely to do so.

The majority of respondents revealed the move had made no difference, with 54 per cent sharing it had no impact on their voting intention.

Thirteen per cent remained unsure of where their ballot would be cast.

Figures from among Conservative votes also proved striking, with 22 per cent hinting they could follow Mr Jenrick in switching to Reform.

Within that cohort, the same percentage said they were less likely to back Mr Farage’s party following the defection.

48 per cent of Tory voters said the move had not changed their mind and seven per cent had been left conflicted.

The striking numbers were revealed after Merlin polled 1,000 Britons from today and yesterday.

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Regarding the state of political parties broadly, the majority of respondents felt Reform UK was on the up, and only 22 per cent said they were retreating.

This was compared to 48 per cent of those polled who viewed the Conservatives as in decline, with 30 per cent saying the embattled party’s fortunes were improving.

On the perception of strength, Britons were split on the Tories, with 37 per cent saying they appeared weak and 34 per cent strong.

48 per cent said Reform presented strongly, while 21 per cent felt the party appeared weak.

In an address to GB News viewers and readers delivered after his defection, Robert Jenrick said: “The truth is that Britain is broken. And both the Conservatives and Labour broke it. I don’t say that lightly. But it’s the truth.

“In Government, the Conservative Party made grave mistakes… It has become clear to me, having seen it up close, that the Conservative Party is too broken to change.

“Nigel Farage, meanwhile, has stood – consistently, and often alone – for what’s needed. Ending mass migration, cheap energy, cutting waste, taxes and red tape.

“So, I am proud to be Reform’s 270,000th member… The future of the country is on the line,” Mr Jenrick said.

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