Was Kemi Badenoch right to sack Robert Jenrick?
See the full data tables here.
Kemi Badenoch’s decision to sack Robert Jenrick has been strongly endorsed by the public, boosting her personal standing but exposing new strains within the Conservative Party, according to the latest Opinium polling.
Public backs Badenoch’s decision to sack Jenrick
The public overwhelmingly supports Kemi Badenoch’s decision to remove Robert Jenrick from his role. Six in ten (59%) say she was right to sack him, compared with just 11% who believe she was wrong.
Support for the decision cuts across the right of British politics. Among 2024 Conservative voters, approval rises to 79%, while even a clear majority of 2024 Reform voters (61%) agree the move was justified.
Personal Boost for Badenoch, and a hit to Jenrick
The episode has translated into a clear personal boost for Badenoch. Following the sacking, 32% of the public say they now feel more positive towards her, compared with 13% who feel more negative.
There is also a modest uplift for the Conservative Party overall, with 24% feeling more positive versus 16% more negative. By contrast, perceptions of Jenrick have deteriorated, with 29% now feeling more negative towards him and just 16% more positive.
Badenoch’s approval reaches new high
Badenoch’s approval rating has climbed to its highest level to date, reaching a net score of –8 (25% approve, 34% disapprove), up from –11 just two weeks ago.
Her leadership traits show particularly strong gains:
- Decisive: net +7, up 17 points since August
- Sticks to her principles: net +7, up 9 points
- Strong leader: now net –1, an 18-point improvement since August
Together, these shifts suggest the public increasingly views Badenoch as assertive and values-driven — qualities that have strengthened her leadership profile in recent months.
But party unity takes a hit
While Badenoch has benefited personally, the controversy appears to have come at a cost to party cohesion. Public perceptions of the Conservatives as a united party have deteriorated sharply, with the net score on unity falling from –16 in December to –32.
Now, half of the public (50%) believe the Conservative Party is disunited, highlighting growing concerns about internal divisions.
Commentary
Opinium’s Head of Policy and Public Affairs James Crouch said:
“Kemi Badenoch has turned something that could have derailed her leadership of the Conservative Party into a personal PR victory. But it has also turned the slow and steady defections to Reform from something only SW1 noticed into a very public fault line on the right of British politics.”
Opinium conducted an online survey of 2,047 UK adults aged 18+ between 15 and 19 January 2026. Results are weighted to be nationally and politically representative.