Former Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson has declared there were "no tears" shed within the Tory party over the dramatic departure of Robert Jenrick, who was sacked and then defected to Reform UK.
Badenoch's Decisive Move Praised
Speaking on Sky News's Electoral Dysfunction podcast on Friday 16 January 2026, Baroness Davidson suggested Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch would gain a "mini bounce" in support for her handling of the crisis. Badenoch ejected Jenrick from the shadow cabinet and the party itself after being shown a speech he intended to give announcing his switch to Nigel Farage's party.
"Not a lot of people [in the Tory party] are that sad that Robert Jenrick's gone," Davidson told political editor Beth Rigby. "I mean, no tears, crying."
‘He’s Nigel Farage’s Problem Now’
Moments before Jenrick's defection on Thursday, Badenoch struck a defiant tone. "Rob is clearly a problem, but he's not my problem. He's Nigel Farage's problem now," she stated.
Davidson, who has criticised Badenoch in the past, praised the leader's response as "pretty strong" and decisive. "She didn't ask him to stay, she didn't try and negotiate with him. She knew exactly what needed to be done," the peer said.
Leadership Ambitions Cut Short
The departure ends the career of a politician once seen as a future Conservative leader. There had been speculation that Jenrick was positioning himself to challenge Badenoch, potentially after the May local elections.
However, Davidson questioned this logic, arguing: "This suggests to me that if Jenrick really thought Badenoch was going to be out after May, he would have stuck around to be part of the next leadership." His move to Reform, therefore, is seen by many as an admission that his prospects within the Conservatives had dwindled.
The episode highlights the ongoing tensions on the right of British politics and presents Badenoch with an early test of her authority, which senior figures like Davidson believe she has passed convincingly.
