Badenoch Walks Out On Interview After Refusing 4 Times To Say Robert Jenrick Is 'A Traitor'

Kemi Badenoch walked off during a TV interview as she tried to dodge questions about Robert Jenrick’s defection to Reform UK.

The Tory leader was asked four times by Sky News’s Connor Gillies if the former shadow justice secretary was “a traitor” but refused to answer.

She said voters were sick of the Westminster “psychodrama” and wanted politicians to focus on the issues affecting their lives instead.

Badenoch sacked Jenrick from her frontbench team after uncovering evidence that he planned to jump ship.

Jenrick – who lost the 2024 Tory leadership election to Badenoch – was later unveiled by Nigel Farage as Reform’s latest recruit at a press conference in central London.

During a two-day visit to Scotland, the Conservative leader was asked by Gillies: “Is Robert Jenrick a traitor?”

Badenoch replied: “Robert Jenrick is not my problem any more.”

Gillies asked again: “Is he a traitor?”

The Tory leader said: “Nigel Farage can worry about that.”

After being asked the same question a third time, she said again: “Robert Jenrick is not my problem any more, he’s Nigel Farage’s problem now.”

The reporter again asked “is he a traitor”, to which Badenoch replied: “Robert Jenrick is not my problem any more, he’s Nigel Farage’s problem now.”

She added: “Nigel Farage is doing my spring cleaning for me. The problems are leaving the Conservative Party and going to Reform.”

Later in the four-minute interview, Badenoch said: “People are not interested in all this psychodrama. I’m the only party leader who is actually talking about the things that matter to people.”

She said she was “100% confident” there would be no more shadow cabinet defections to Reform, but eventually cut short the interview as she was asked about the Tories’ poor poll ratings in Scotland.

“Let’s just talk about what’s happening rather than projections and polls because I think what your viewers are interested in is how I can make their lives better,” she said.

“They’re not interested in all this polling and so on. It’s Westminster drama and I’m here to talk about the real issues that matter to people and I’m very grateful for the interview.”

As Gillies tried to ask if it was “over for the Conservatives in Scotland”, Badenoch laughed and walked off.

Watch the full exchange below: