Conservative leaders will not rule out deals with Reform and Plaid in Wales
Conservative Party leaders have not ruled out doing deals with Reform UK or Plaid Cymru following next year’s Senedd elections in Wales.
Kemi Badenoch, the Tory leader, and Darren Millar, her Welsh counterpart, have kept the option of working with other parties to form the next Welsh government on the table.
The Conservatives are preparing for the Senedd election in May next year, which will be the first held under a new proportional voting system.
While Ms Badenoch previously ruled out working with Reform at a UK level, she has not objected to local coalitions.
Welsh Conservative Conference
Speaking to the PA news agency at the Welsh Conservative Conference in Llangollen on Friday, the party leader declined to rule out working with Plaid or Reform in Wales.
She said: “I keep getting asked about coalitions and deals, and I don’t answer that question, because I think once you start talking about coalitions and deals, what the public hears is a ‘stitch-up’.
“I need to say what the Conservative way is, what our offer is, let’s wait until the election before we start talking about coalitions and deals.
“We’re not stitching anything up. What we’re doing is working as hard as we can for the people of this country.”
National interest
Mr Millar, in a separate interview, added: “I’ve made it clear that I will work with anybody in the national interest to get rid of this clapped out Labour government, that is what I am prepared to do, because it’s in the national interest to see the back of them.
“I am determined to get the Conservatives into government in Wales. That is my mission.”
The comments come as the party faces a difficult race in Wales, with a recent YouGov poll putting the Welsh Tories in fourth place on 13% at the next election, behind Plaid Cymru, Reform UK and Labour.
Mr Millar said the polling had motivated him to “work my socks off” to win back voters.
He said: “I think that if we can enthuse people, put some hope in their hearts, demonstrate what we would do as a credible alternative government, and if they consider the options available to them.
“There’s no point in voting Plaid, there’s no point in voting for the Liberal Democrats, because all they’ve done it prop the Labour Party up and who on earth would take a risk with Reform, it’s a limited company, not a political party, without any credible, realistic policies.”
He added: “I’m determined to get as many seats in that next Senedd as possible, and it is perfectly possible for us to be the largest party in that Senedd, I believe, under the new voting system.
“And that’s what I’m determined to do.”
Last week, Plaid Cymru’s leader Rhun ap Iorwerth, ruled out working with Reform to form the next Welsh government and said he could not see a “formal relationship with the Conservatives”
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First time Kemi Badenoch hAs shown any interest in, or said anything about, Wales. We might as well not exist as far as she’s concerned
When Labour took the blame for the global oil crises in the 70s, the Cons milked it for decades. The Cons should expect the same back at them for their self-inflicted economic sanctioning.
Highly unlikely Plaid Cymru would ever do a deal with such a far-right English imperialist party that wants to not only abolish our Senedd Cymru since its inception. That wants desperately to control and privatise our Welsh NHS through the back door. A party who arrogantly refused point blank to devolve powers requested by our democratically elected Welsh Government, who had a mandate by the way, unlike them in Wales, to fulfill promises made in their manifesto. What about your party’s refusal to devolve Policing and Criminal Justice system to our Senedd, a power enjoyed by the other nations including… Read more »
After a Lab/Plaid and Reform/Tory coalition a Plaid/Tory looks most likely. Sadly with the rise of Reform not sure Plaid can be so choosy as to rule out a coalition with the Tories. Obviously all this is for after the election.
Any Plaid agreement or coalition, God forbid it, with the Welsh Conservatives would be a momentous mistake on 2010 Liberal Democrat proportions. There would have to be very exceptional circumstances. You know. Hell freezing over. And what any coalition has it to do with Kemi Badenoch? Best she stayed on her turf and stayed off ours. Keep off our grass. Whose the Tory leader in Wales? Her or Darren Millar. I take it you have been following recent rumblings in the Welsh Conservative party? What would Darren Millar offer First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth and a Plaid Cymru Welsh Government?… Read more »
What would be better for Wales. A Reform/Tory coalition or a Plaid/Tory coalition? Any Plaid supporter would be out of their minds if they’d prefer the former.
Quote: Any Plaid agreement or coalition, God forbid it, with the Welsh Conservatives would be a momentous mistake on 2010 Liberal Democrat proportions. There would have to be very exceptional circumstances. You know. Hell freezing over. The difference is Rhun ap Iorweth would be the First Minister, and his face would be the recognition of Welsh politics. It would be the Welsh Tories who would be the junior partner like the Lib Dems were in the early 2010s. Quote: Don’t forget. Thanks to Plaid as part of the “One Wales Agreement” was a legislative power referendum their reward. The Welsh… Read more »
Reform are most unlikely to take power as the polls stand (and given who will/won’t work with other parties). However, Farage may perversely be doing Wales a favour by opening up a debate on the future model of the NHS. We can’t carry on pumping more and more money into the current model whilst the service actually deteriorates to the point of collapse. There will soon be no money left for anything else.
Cons will make a deal with the devil to get power.
Then we all suffer.
Kemi went very quiet after meeting Vance when musk attacked two Labour MP’s. Orders received and it will filter to the leaders in Wales.
I’m still fully expecting RT to be a Reform member in time for next years elections.
Funny he says that because I don’t think there’s any point voting Tory because they are fanboys/girls for the economic & constitutional structures choking the life out of Cymru.
As for coalitions Plaid candidates are trying to put as much distance between the party and the Reform-Cons as possible. They’re not keen on any formal arrangements with anyone to be honest. There’s an acceptance that you work with whom the Welsh electorate elects, but that will be case by case, looking for common ground on our policies if we are in a position to form a government.
If the Welsh Tories can take votes away from Reform then how is that not a bad thing? I would much prefer centre-right voters ticking a cross for the Tories under Darren Miller than for Reform UK. Furthermore if a combined Plaid+Tory+LD seat share is enough to form a government, then that gives Plaid bargaining power against Labour.