Furious Robert Jenrick tells reporter to ‘check her head’ after exploding at sexism claim
Robert Jenrick has told a female journalist she needed her head checking after she challenged him on being ‘blokey and dismissive of female politicians’.
Jenrick accused of being ‘blokey’ at speech (Image: Getty)
Conservative defector Robert Jenrick MP has told a female journalist that she needed her head checking after she challenged him on his approach to female politicians and journalists. Mr Jenrick, who was kicked out of the Conservative Party last week after evidence he intended to defect was handed to Kemi Badenoch, blasted a radio journalist who appeared to suggest he was repeatedly mis-pronouncing his former leader’s name.
He was accused of repeatedly referencing female MPs in a negative way in his defection speech last week. Mr Jenrick mentioned Dame Priti Patel, Kemi Badenoch and Liz Truss in his defection speech, which was pointed out by the reporter who suggested his press conference was “blokey” and “dismissive of female politicians”.
Mr Jenrick mentioned Conservative Chancellor Mel Stride repeatedly in his speech, but this was not mentioned by the presenter. Kate McCann, a journalist for Times Radio said: “Many people watching your press conference said it looked quite blokey and was quite dismissive of female politicians.”
Throughout the interview a furious Mr Jenrick hit back. When accused of stating his former leader’s name incorrectly he blasted: “What’s that got to do with anything?”
Later he retorted: “I honestly have no idea what you’re talking about. If you think this is important then you need your head checking.”
Mr Jenrick, who has three daughters, said that he found the idea that he didn’t respect women to be “extremely offensive” in the heated exchange.
The former Conservative Shadow Justice Minister made the leap to Reform UK last week, a few days after the former Conservative Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi did likewise. In an acerbic speech his lampooned many of his former colleagues and claimed that Britain was broken.
He repeated those claims in a comment article for the Express last weekend.
Mr Jenrick has become the third sitting Conservative MP to join Nigel Farage‘s insurgent movement. He lost the leadership race to Kemi Badenoch at the end of 2024, and was then discovered to have been plotting to defect by his own colleagues, including reportedly by a member of his own staff.
He was sensationally ejected from the Conservative Party last week after proof of his defection plans were handed to the party’s leadership.
Mr Jenrick, who has a wife and three daughters, strenuously objected to claims made by journalists that he had an ‘issue’ with women.
