Disloyalty and defection: the Tory-Reform psychodrama

Disloyalty and defection: the Tory-Reform psychodrama

Author: Financial Times January 16, 2026 Duration: 34:33

First he was pushed and then he jumped: high drama at Westminster after Kemi Badenoch sacked her rival for the Tory leadership Robert Jenrick - his crime was plotting a defection to Reform UK. Hours later, Jenrick appeared at Nigel Farage's side, branding his former party "rotten".


Did Badenoch’s decisive action help the Tory recovery plan? Which party is left weaker and which stronger in the fight for the right - could this, the most significant defection so far, further fuel Farage’s claim that the Conservative Party’s days are numbered?  


Deputy opinion editor Miranda Green hosts a discussion about the ‘psychodrama’ that has rocked Westminster this week with the FT’s deputy political editor Jim Pickard, columnist and writer of the ‘Inside Politics’ newsletter Stephen Bush, and FT’s chief political commentator Robert Shrimsley.


Follow Miranda, Jim, Stephen & Robert


Want more?



Betrayal, plots and a mole who derailed Jenrick’s defection to Reform


Robert Jenrick joins Reform UK after being sacked from Tory shadow cabinet


Jenrick’s sacking is both threat and opportunity for Badenoch


Lunch with the FT Robert Jenrick: ‘I’m unashamedly provincial in my attitudes’


Latest U-turn raises renewed questions over Keir Starmer’s judgment


And sign up for Stephen's morning newsletter, Inside Politics, for straight-talking insight into the stories that matter, plus puns and tongue-(mostly)-in-cheek analysis.

Get 30 days free


Political Fix was presented by Miranda Green, and produced by Julia Webster. Flo Phillips is the executive producer. Sound engineering by Breen Turner. Cheryl Brumley is the FT’s global head of audio.


Clips from BBC, X


What did you think of this episode? Let us know at: politicalfix@ft.com


Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


Every Friday, the team behind Political Fix gathers to make sense of the week's political turbulence. This isn't just a recap of headlines; it's a deep, often lively conversation that pulls back the curtain on how decisions are really made in Westminster and beyond. You'll hear from the Financial Times journalists who are actually there, in the corridors and committee rooms, paired with expert voices who provide crucial context. Together, they untangle complex policy debates, analyse the shifting alliances, and question the strategies defining Britain's future. The result is a clear-eyed, authoritative look at the forces shaping the nation, delivered with the FT's signature rigor and insight. Tuning into this podcast feels like gaining access to a private briefing, one that prioritizes substance over noise. It’s for anyone who wants to move past the soundbites and understand the real stories and personalities driving the political agenda. New episodes arrive weekly, offering a consistent and essential perspective on a landscape that never stops moving.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Political Fix
Podcast Episodes
Labour and business: friends or foes? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:17
With a planned overhaul of employment law imminent and moves to renationalise rail companies, we’re asking whether Labour has got it in for business. The FT’s Lucy Fisher is joined by colleagues Miranda Green and Jim Pic…
Labour’s descent into ‘miserabilism’ [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:16
A 'painful' Budget awaits this autumn and things will get 'worse before they get better', Sir Keir Starmer warned this week. But is Labour taking a risk projecting such a gloomy outlook? Political Fix host Lucy Fisher is…
Swamp Notes: Democrats find a feeling at the DNC [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:50
Democrats from across the US gathered in Chicago for their presidential convention this week, promising to move past the Donald Trump-era of American politics. But if their newly-minted nominee, vice-president Kamala Har…
How do you solve a problem like Elon Musk? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:13
The billionaire owner of X, Elon Musk, has launched attacks on the UK government following the riots. So, how should Keir Starmer’s government deal with the self-declared “free speech absolutist” and his social media pla…
‘A fractious and divided country’ [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:38
Sir Keir Starmer has told police to stay on ‘high alert’ for more disorder, as rafts of rioters receive lengthy jail sentences in Britain’s courts. Has the unrest petered out, or could it yet flare up again? And how will…
Is Labour facing a summer of unrest? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:42
Sir Keir Starmer has announced a new national policing unit to tackle violent disorder as he vows to “put a stop” to unrest on British streets led by far-right “thugs”. But will it be enough to prevent a summer of riots?…
Labour confronts £20bn black hole [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:40
The chancellor Rachel Reeves is about to confront the British public with the size of the black hole in the country’s finances. A funding shortfall of about £20bn is likely to lead to tax rises at the Budget later this y…
The ‘bin fires’ setting Labour’s in-tray alight [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:44
Sir Keir Starmer plans to hand more powers to metro mayors in what has been dubbed a ‘devolution revolution’. Host Lucy Fisher speaks with politics reporter Rafe Uddin, deputy political editor Jim Pickard and north of En…
Labour's growth fixation [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:29
Sir Keir Starmer took the chance to extend the hand of friendship to Britain’s neighbours when he hosted the European Political Community summit in Blenheim Palace on Thursday. The FT’s Lucy Fisher is joined by political…

«1...678910