Reform’s Robert Jenrick faces calls for an apology following allegations of sharing a manipulated quote from Labour’s new migration minister to gain an advantage. The ex-Tory politician sparked controversy by sharing a video clip implying that Jo White, recently appointed to Shabana Mahmood’s Home Office team, expressed indifference towards halting small boats. However, White later released a full audio recording clarifying her actual statement: “I don’t care who will stop the boats… my number one priority is to stop those boats.”
In a now-deleted social media post, Jenrick claimed White had said, “I don’t care if we stop the boats,” and also criticized Andy Burnham for his stance on the issue. Although Jenrick removed the post on Thursday morning, he defended his decision to share it.
Expressing outrage, White shared the original recording of her remarks to constituents, accusing Jenrick of distorting her words intentionally to deceive the public. She demanded a retraction of the false claim and an immediate apology.
Despite deleting his post, Jenrick has not issued an apology. Labour MP Jacob Collier condemned Jenrick and Reform for sharing a doctored audio clip, labeling their actions as desperate and beyond the boundaries of healthy debate. Similarly, former Home Office minister Mike Tapp called for Jenrick to apologize for spreading misinformation about a fellow Labour Minister.
In an interview on Talk TV, Jenrick explained that he had received the clip from individuals present at the meeting and defended his decision to share it publicly to seek clarification from White. He later decided to remove the post to give her the benefit of the doubt.
When asked if he regretted sharing the clip, Jenrick maintained that he did not believe he made a mistake but expressed willingness to give people the benefit of the doubt due to not being present at the meeting.
A spokesperson for Reform UK pointed fingers at news outlet Guido Fawkes, suggesting that the shorter quote shared by Jenrick originated from them. Meanwhile, Guido Fawkes defended their reporting, urging readers to verify information directly from their website before referencing it.
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