Nigel Farage’s triumphant introduction of ex-Tory Robert Jenrick as the latest defector to Reform descended into farce as the former shadow justice secretary failed to appear on stage. While the ex-minister did eventually show up at the London press conference, the delay left Mr Farage flailing.

Mr Farage tried to fill the silence with jokes, saying: “He hasn’t changed his mind, has he?” But his tone became a little more serious, as he asked aides: "We can’t find him? Is he coming?"

The Reform UK leader then joked to journalists at the event: “This would be a very funny end of the day, wouldn’t it? As you can tell, normally when I unveil defections, it's all perfectly planned. Nothing ever leaks, and I’m known for never leaking. But this circumstance has been sprung on us for reasons that were not under my own control, sadly.”

Mr Farage kept up the jokes, insisting: “He hasn’t changed his mind. Kemi hasn’t called him and asked him back.”

The Reform UK leader then decided to make a serious announcement, saying that Reform will accept no more defectors after May 7.

Finally, he declared, with what sounded like genuine relief: “Here he is! Robert Jenrick.”

And when he greeted Mr Jenrick, Mr Farage joked: “I wondered if you’d changed your mind!”

It only took two minutes for Mr Jenrick to turn up, but for those watching the embarrassment, it felt longer.

A senior Tory source said: “Jenrick was late to the stage at this press conference because he was rewriting the parts of the speech we had released to the media.”

The former Tory cabinet minister then delivered a serious speech, attacking his former party even though he was in the last government as communities secretary and later served as immigration minister.

He said: “The two main parties are rotten. They’re no longer fit for purpose.

“They both broke Britain. And neither can fix it.

“It’s a conclusion about the Conservative Party that it has pained me to reach.

“Because I’ve been a member since I was 16. Served it most of my adult life.

“I have countless good friends in the party.

“Not least my members in Newark. The most decent, patriotic people I know.

“And I respect – cherish – the party’s contribution to Britain. The party of Pitt, Peel, Churchill, Thatcher.

“But our country is in a precarious, dangerous position.

“And our first loyalty must be to our country.

“Turning it around will require us all to speak the truth. And act accordingly.

“What’s the truth? Both Labour and the Conservatives broke Britain.”