Former Conservative minister Robert Jenrick has publicly stated that he directly advised party leader Kemi Badenoch to expel ex-Prime Minister Liz Truss from their ranks, citing her disastrous mini-budget as the primary reason.
A Defector's Damning Critique
In a candid interview with Sky News on Monday 19 January 2026, Jenrick, who defected to Reform UK last week, revealed this private counsel was a significant factor in his decision to leave the Tories. The former shadow justice secretary argued that Truss's "careless and cackhanded" fiscal plans in 2022 caused "real harm to people", disrupting house sales and sparking widespread anxiety over mortgages and pensions.
"If I'd been leader of the Conservative Party, I would have chucked Liz Truss out," Jenrick declared. He questioned whether the party had genuinely evolved, stating, "If the party has really changed, why wouldn't you kick Liz Truss out?" He confirmed he had personally told Badenoch to take this action, but she declined.
The Lingering Shadow of the Mini-Budget
Jenrick's comments thrust the party's recent turbulent history back into the spotlight. Liz Truss's premiership lasted just 44 days, collapsing after her package of unfunded tax cuts triggered market turmoil. She subsequently lost her seat in the 2024 general election, which ended 14 years of Conservative government.
Jenrick, who served in multiple ministerial roles and lost to Badenoch in the subsequent Tory leadership contest, dismissed suggestions he left because he failed to oust her. Instead, he portrayed a party incapable of renewal. "The arsonists are still there," he claimed, arguing the same figures responsible for past errors remain in charge. "Why would anyone trust them once again? And I concluded, it's never going to change."
Reactions and a 'Trojan Horse' Accusation
While accepting he made his own mistakes during his time in government, particularly on housing, Jenrick expressed full confidence in Reform leader Nigel Farage. He firmly shut down any speculation about his own leadership ambitions within his new party.
Responding to Jenrick's earlier criticisms in The Times, Liz Truss took to social media platform X with a pointed retort. She suggested Jenrick might be a "Trojan horse", questioning who was truly giving him orders following his dramatic political switch.
This public airing of internal grievances underscores the deep fractures within the Conservative Party as it struggles to redefine itself after a period of historic electoral defeat and ongoing ideological strife.
