'He's Farage's problem now': Tory Party chairman calls for by-election in 'disloyal' Jenrick's seat
Kevin Hollinrake described Mr Jenrick's defection as "tremendously disloyal"
Conservative Party chairman Kevin Hollinrake has called for a by-election in Robert Jenrick's constituency after he defected to Reform UK.
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Mr Hollinrake also said there "was no other way to explain" Mr Jenrick's switch to Nigel Farage's party other than "personal ambition."
The former shadow justice secretary joined Mr Farage on stage in Westminster on Thursday afternoon to announce his defection.
But speaking to LBC's Tonight with Andrew Marr, Mr Hollinrake said a by-election would be "the right thing to do."
Read more: 17-year-old Hania calls Jenrick's defection 'a wonderful thing'
He told Andrew: "I campaigned myself for Rob in Newark when it was a by-election, when he first got elected.
"I'm sure there's plenty of people - volunteers and members and supporters – that are very disappointed by what Rob has done, and the voters indeed in Newark.
"I think it is just tremendously disloyal."
Discussing the switch, he said: "It's personal ambition. Robert never settled with the fact in his own mind that he lost the leadership contest.
"We've tried to hope, over time, as he sees Kemi improving, he can be a member of the team, but ultimately, I think it's about Rob's own personal ambitions. No other way to explain this.
"Kemi is very clear, we're not having the psychodrama of the past where people are falling out internally and it's all about them, it's all about leadership."
Mr Hollinrake added Mr Jenrick was "Nigel Farage's problem now."
Earlier in the day, Ms Badenoch removed his whip after claiming he was found to have left material "lying around," which suggested his intentions to defect which included a speech and a "media plan."
Mr Hollinrake claimed his former colleague denied any evidence.
He told Andrew: "We did what we did because Rob's actions were treacherous. I've got to say, when the chief whip spoke to Rob today, he denied the evidence that we had seen.
"Yet that speech that we have just heard is pretty much word for word what we've seen.
"So, Kemi did the right thing. It was a tough course of action.
"We understand Rob has many strengths. This is somebody who's got a big profile within our party. So, this is a strong course of action. I admire Kemi for taking it."
Answering LBC's questions at the press conference around the motive of his move, Mr Jenrick said: "Look, nobody leaves a party which they're the bookies' favourite to be leader out of ambition, you do this out of conviction.
"I've done this today because I'm convinced it's the right thing to do for my constituents and for the country. That's it."
Throwing his support behind the party's leader, Mr Hollinrake said: "We've got a great leader. We need to support her. We need to be united. That's what I believe. That's what the public want.
"They want us to focus on holding this disastrous government to account. We're showing how effective we are in that, with 13 U-turns already largely brought around about by the work we've done, that's what we should be focusing on."
Keith Girling, chair of the Newark Conservatives Association, told John Stratford on LBC News: "It's amazing how them two can talk about principles and standards, isn't it?
"You know, how can you have principles and standards and be honest when you scheme and plot behind people's back to leave a party that's been supporting you as much as we have? You know, it's a mockery, really. It's a joke."