Welsh Tory Leader Darren Millar said:
“This morning, I took the decision to remove James Evans from the Welsh Conservative Shadow Cabinet and withdraw the Conservative whip.
I did so after being informed by James that he was continuing to engage with Reform representatives about the possibility of defecting to the party, in spite of his personal assurances on Friday that he had rejected an approach they initiated last week.
Understandably, I expect all Welsh Conservative MSs and candidates to be 100% committed to our party and our plan to fix Wales. Regrettably, James was unable to give me that commitment.”
107 days until Transfer Deadline Day…
UPDATE: This comes two days after Evans – Welsh Shadow Health Secretary – said:
“I will be honest with people, I think Britain is broken. We have to take some level of responsibility for the mess this country is in.”
He said “I’m not getting into what conversations I’ve had” with Reform. Enough for CCHQ to drop the guillotine…
At First Minister’s Questions over in the Senedd Welsh Tory leader Darren Millar had a poke at Labour’s Eluned Morgan over International Women’s Day. He asked her “in order that people across Wales can appreciate and understand what the Welsh government was celebrating over the weekend” what her definition of a woman was. A pertinent question…
Morgan was outraged: “Really? Is that right? Is that right Darren? On the day that we want to celebrate women you want to start a culture war? That is not something that I’m engaging with, it is not something I’m engaging with.” The First Minister then went on to say what she did to mark the event. No definition forthcoming in all that…
Millar offered that his was: “Adult human female.” Morgan also refused to say the Welsh government would make moves to keep biological males out of women’s sports. Across the UK events are ongoing throughout the week following IWD day itself last Saturday. Someone could ask Starmer the same question at PMQs tomorrow…
A huge row over rape gangs just took place over in the Welsh Senedd during First Minister’s Questions. New Welsh Tory leader Darren Millar was stonewalled by Eluned Morgan when he asked if she supported an inquiry into the gangs, or about the extent of correspondence between the Welsh government, police forces and local authorities on the issue. Morgan just said it was “disappointing” that the “issue has been politicised.” Millar called for an inquiry and detailed what had gone on to girls in Wales:
“We know from media reports that young girls have been recruited by grooming gangs here in South Wales before being gang raped and then trafficked to Hereford and Blackpool. One victim has even said that she was strangled, she was threatened with a knife and her home was threatened with being burnt down. She was then raped, I’m afraid to say First Minister, a thousand times.”
As Millar went on the Speaker Elin Jones interrupted him and told him he was being “overly descriptive and, I think, verging on not not being totally respectful of the victim at this point so can you tone down the rhetorics.” The Tory leader claimed he was “simply reading facts,” to which the Speaker complained:
“The use of language in this place needs to be making sure that you are keeping well away from inflaming any kind of discrimination or inciting of any kind of discrimination… you’ve become overly descriptive and I need you to now reflect on that.”
Guido’s not sure what the optics are in claiming that factual descriptions of rape gangs’ methods is “inflaming discrimination.” Millar was having none of it either way and called for a full inquiry…
The MS has been in the Senedd since 2007 and was Shadow Minister for the Constitution and North Wales before he getting elected today. He was unopposed…
Speaking to Sky News off the back of Rachel Reeves’ Air Passenger Duty hike, Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary said:
“Labour is dependent on those Red Wall seats, and yet every move she makes poisons economic growth and damages the UK’s recovery… it’s the Chancellor who stumbles from policy misstep to policy misstep… I think her policy decisions are incredibly stupid.”