Andrew RT Davies makes clear stance on abolition of Senedd

Emily Price

Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies has rejected calls to change the party’s policy to support the abolition of the Senedd.

Amid internal rows over the Tories stance on devolution, Mr Davies told Nation.Cymru, “talk of abolition is a debate that is 25 years out of date”.

His comments come after his closest aide George Carroll promised a members ballot on whether abolition should become policy if he is elected the party’s Welsh Chairman.

The Vale of Glamorgan councillor is standing on a joint ticket alongside deputy candidates Oliver Batt and Calum Davies – who previously worked at the Tory Senedd group communications office under the Senedd group leader.

Andrew RT Davies is said to be throwing his support behind the anti-Senedd slate of three.

Abolishing the Welsh Parliament is against current Conservative party policy but internal rows have been brewing on whether that should change.

Concerns

Tory sources have raised concerns to Nation Cymru that in recent interviews the group’s leader has not made his own personal stance on devolution clear enough.

We asked Andrew RT Davies for a statement outlining his own personal opinion on whether the Senedd should be abolished.

He said: “It is mine and the group’s position that the Senedd is the home of Welsh democracy and we look forward to it remaining that way for many generations to come.

“Talk of abolition is a debate that is 25 years out of date. The Welsh Conservatives are committed to making devolution work in the interests of the people of Wales and the best way to do that is to kick out this tired, lazy, clapped-out Labour Welsh Government in 2026.

“The Welsh Conservatives are proven to be the only party people turn to in Wales, winning two by-elections from Labour last night in Monmouth and Prestatyn.”

Balls

Andrew RT Davies drew criticism during the summer recess when he invited people visiting the Vale of Glamorgan show to put balls into two buckets to highlight whether they wanted to abolish the Senedd or not.

Deputy Chairman of the South Wales East Conservatives, Huw Davies supported the stunt and has been at the forefront of calls to axe the Welsh Parliament since.

He has previously worked for the Senedd Tories under several MSs.

Cardiff Councillor Joel Williams has been similarly vocal calling for a ballot of members “on whether they support the abolishment of the Senedd” in a private Tory social media channel.

He currently works for South Wales East MS Laura Anne Jones and previously worked for Brecon and Radnorshire MS James Evans.

Shadow Transport Minister Natasha Asghar said it’s “rather amusing that the vocal few pushing for abolition had no problem with the Senedd when they were on its payroll.”

She said: “Whilst I had my reservations about the Assembly becoming a Parliament, I cannot stress enough that my stance has since changed, and I firmly believe devolution is not the issue here.

“The issue is the people who have been running the show for the last 25 years. People are fed up with the financial recklessness and abysmal record of Labour and their nationalist pals in Plaid Cymru.

“Understandably people will look at the Senedd and feel disenfranchised and angry, but that’s not the institution’s fault – it’s the fault of successive Labour governments, propped up by Plaid and the Lib Dems.”

Sledgehammer

Although Andrew RT Davies told us his group were united in its view of devolution, South Wales Central MS Joel James is set to host two round table events with constituents on whether the Senedd should be abolished.

Prior to Mr James becoming elected in 2021, documents leaked to the BBC revealed that he had sent applications to party members setting out his anti-devolution stance.

In the application he said it was time to “take a sledgehammer to Labour’s original ‘Red Wall’, finally ending their devolution experiment in Wales.”

Tory MS for Aberconwy, Janet Finch Saunders, says any member of the Welsh Parliament who wants to scrap the Senedd “should stand down now”.

She said: “Every second wasted on what is, frankly, an anti-democratic idea, is time lost on scrutinising the Welsh Government so to improve laws and policies that affect everyday life in Wales.”