Darren Millar announces changes to shadow cabinet.
The leader of the Welsh Conservatives Darren Millar has announced two changes to his Shadow Cabinet.
The move follows the withdrawal of the party’s MSs from the Wales Covid-19 Inquiry Special Purposes Committee last week.
Tom Giffard the co-chair of the committee and his colleague Sam Rowlands quit their roles after Labour members voted to block a request to require some witnesses to the Committee to give evidence under oath.
They resigned after accusing the Welsh Government of blocking bereaved families from getting the answers they deserve.
Mr Giffard, MS for South Wales West, has been appointed as Shadow Counsel General, and Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Delivery, External Affairs and the Welsh Language.
New role
Former Welsh Conservative Leader and Preseli Pembrokeshire MS Paul Davies, who was previously Shadow Counsel General, takes on the new role of Deputy Leader of the Welsh Conservatives, in addition to retaining his roles as Chief Whip and Shadow Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution.
Darren Millar said: “I am delighted to announce these changes to my Shadow Cabinet team.
“Tom Giffard MS will bring his talent to bear in holding to account the Welsh Labour Government for failing to deliver for the people of Wales.
“And Paul Davies MS will do an excellent job in the new role of Deputy Leader of the Welsh Conservatives, bringing his experience to bear in the run up to next year’s Senedd elections.”
‘Honoured’
Mr Davies said: “I am honoured to take on the role of Deputy Leader of the Welsh Conservatives.
“I am delighted to be working closely with Darren and our government-in-waiting to fix Wales and deliver a Welsh Conservative Government in the Senedd elections next year.”
Tom Giffard, who was previously the party’s spokesperson for Culture, Tourism and Sport, added: “I am proud to be joining Darren Millar’s Welsh Conservative Shadow Cabinet team as we approach the Senedd elections in 2026.
“Labour has failed Wales. I look forward to working closely with Darren and the rest of the team as we put together our plan to Fix Wales after 26 years of Labour failure.”
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A Welsh Tory cabinet reshuffle is like covering up vomit with sawdust. You know it looks different but the smell of what lies within lingers.
Talk about bringing together a cabinet of the talentless!!
The Tories will need to do a lot more than shuffle a few members around in the Senedd if they are to make any sort of showing at the 2026 Senedd elections. At the recent Cwmllynfell by-election in the Brecon Radnor and Cwmtawe constituency the Tory came sixth with 12 votes. Their candidate probably has more friends than people prepared to put an x next to the Tory symbol on the ballot paper.
Based on the Cwmllynfell & Ystalyfera result I suggest they all jump ship to Reform, asap.
Reshuffle is such a strange term. It suggests random selection, because you don’t like the cards you previously dealt (at random).
In this case, it might as well be.
Just like rearanging deck chairs on the proverbial sinking ship… that nobody is going to sit in… ever again.
As Frank Drebin said in The Naked Gun, ‘Nothing to see here’.