In a stunning political broadside, former Conservative minister Robert Jenrick has launched a scathing attack on ex-Prime Minister Liz Truss, accusing his old party of lacking the courage to expel her. The intervention comes just days after his high-profile defection to Nigel Farage's Reform UK.
A Call for Expulsion Ignored
Jenrick has claimed he repeatedly urged Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch on "multiple" occasions to remove Liz Truss from the party. He argues that the failure to do so is a clear sign the Tories have not genuinely changed course.
In a damning article, Jenrick criticised Truss's "unrepentant, vainglorious global media tour" following her tumultuous 49-day premiership, which ended in October 2022. He questioned the party's resolve, stating: "Why hasn’t she been removed? Well, because removing her would be difficult... Nobody has the gumption to face the issue."
He escalated his rhetoric, adding pointedly: "And if the party doesn’t have the balls to kick out Truss, will it really have the gumption to take on the vested interests that stand in the way of all the change our country needs?"
Sky News Interview: 'Cack-Handed' Mini-Budget
Speaking to Sky News, Jenrick elaborated on his stance. "If I'd been leader of the Conservative Party... I would have chucked Liz Truss out of the party," he stated. He directly blamed her leadership for tangible harm, saying: "The mini-Budget was careless. It was cack-handed. It did cause in the moment real harm to people - people's house sales fell through, their mortgages, their investments, their pensions. That is not somebody who should be a member of your political party."
Truss Fires Back and Reform's Recruitment Drive
The former Prime Minister swiftly hit back on social media platform X. Truss posted: "Robert Jenrick may have joined Reform but who is he getting his orders from? Trojan horse." This suggests she views him as an internal saboteur.
Meanwhile, Jenrick also revealed that Reform UK is poised for another significant defection. He told Times Radio that a "well-known" former Labour MP is set to join the party imminently, following Nigel Farage's teaser last week. "There may be a former Labour MP joining the party in the days ahead," he confirmed.
This news follows the defection of Tory MP Andrew Rosindell to Reform UK on Sunday evening, marking the second such cross-floor move and intensifying pressure on Kemi Badenoch's leadership.
Political Fallout and Labour's Reaction
The internal Conservative warfare has drawn a sharp response from the opposition. Labour Party chair Anna Turley seized on the chaos, stating: “The stench of a failed and dying Tory Party now engulfs Reform. The Conservatives left public services on their knees, and Nigel Farage is now unconditionally trying to rehabilitate their disastrous record. The public won’t be fooled: the Tories failed Britain and Reform want to do it all over again."
The public row exposes deep fissures within the right of British politics as Reform UK seeks to capitalise on Conservative disarray, with the potential for further defections looming large over Westminster.
