Jenrick denies he would drop hard-right policies if he became Tory leader

Conservative MP says his tack to the right has rattled Nigel Farage and confirms he would like the UK to exit the ECHR

Robert Jenrick has denied that he would drop his hard-right policies and return to the Conservative middle ground if he become leader, arguing that his ideas for the party have left Nigel Farage rattled".

Jenrick, who faces Kemi Badenoch in a ballot of Tory members for the post, confirmed that he would expect his shadow frontbench to sign up to the plan of immediately quitting the European convention on human rights (ECHR), a red line for some centrists.