There have been “no tears” shed over Robert Jenrick’s departure from the Conservative Party, former Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson has said.
Speaking to Sky News political editor Beth Rigby on the Electoral Dysfunction podcast, Baroness Davidson said she thinks there will even be a “mini bounce” within the Tories over how Kemi Badenoch handled his defection to Reform on Thursday.
The Conservative leader sacked Mr Jenrick from her shadow cabinet and ousted him from the Tory party after being shown a speech he planned to – then did – make as he defected to Nigel Farage’s party.
“Not a lot of people [in the Tory party] are that sad that Robert Jenrick’s gone,” she said.
“I mean, that might well be just because nobody likes to think well of somebody that left you, but I mean, no tears, crying.”
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Ms Badenoch was defiant moments before Mr Jenrick announced his defection, telling Rigby: “Rob is clearly a problem, but he’s not my problem. He’s Nigel Farage’s problem now.”
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Baroness Davidson said that response “was pretty strong and she came across as decisive”.
“I’ve been critical of Kemi Badenoch in the past, but you know, she didn’t ask him to stay, she didn’t try and negotiate with him,” she said.
“She knew exactly what needed to be done.
“And I think she’s probably going to have a little bit of a mini bounce within the party because of the way she’s handled this.”
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There have been suggestions Mr Jenrick wanted to replace Ms Badenoch as leader, and was hoping to do so after the May local elections.
But Baroness Davidson said: “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.”
