Robert Jenrick talks putting members ‘back in the driving seat’ - with picture of him in the back

As the Conservative Party leadership contest enters the final stretch, with ex-immigration minister Robert Jenrick and shadow housing secretary Kemi Badenoch trying to win over party members ahead of the ballot closing next week, the former has said he plans to “put members back in the driving seat” – but there’s one small problem.

Taking to Twitter/X on Sunday (20 October), Jenrick – the MP for Newark – shared the message alongside a picture of him in a car with Jacob Rees-Mogg, who is now solely a member of the Conservative Party after losing his North East Somerset seat in July’s general election.

Rees-Mogg came out in support of Jenrick on 10 October, later saying he can “unite the right and lead us to victory”.

Except for all the talk of the candidate vowing to put party members “back in the driving seat”, social media users have pointed out that in the picture shared at the weekend actually sees the pair of them sitting in the back of the car:

Others, meanwhile, have jokingly compared it to James Corden’s Carpool Karaoke:

Rival candidate Kemi Badenoch has also come under criticism recently over her campaigning, after a pamphlet put out by her team – and authored by numerous Conservatives – was slammed for “stigmatising” autism.

The document incorrectly included the neurological condition under a section about the “socialisation of mental health”, in which the authors claim those with a “neurodiversity [sic] diagnosis” such as anxiety or autism may receive “better treatment or equipment at school” and are “protected in employment terms from day one”.

It also states such “socialisation” – where “everyone has to treat you differently” – has “failed to improve people’s mental health outcomes”.

A spokesman for Badenoch told the i it would be “wrong to infer any prejudice” from the report endorsed by the North West Essex MP.

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