Former Welsh Secretary to join Tory MS’s backroom team
Emily Price
The former Secretary of State for Wales David TC Davies is in discussions with Welsh Conservative MS Laura Anne Jones to work for her office in the Senedd.
The former Monmouthshire MP lost his seat to Labour’s Catherine Fookes in the July 4 general election.
Mr Davies had served as the MP for the area since 2005, and had been a cabinet minister since October 2022.
He was the first Welsh Secretary of State to ever lose his seat while in the role.
A friend of the former Welsh Secretary told Nation.Cymru that Mr Davies was currently in talks with Ms Jones about joining her staff in the Welsh Parliament.
‘Limelight’
They said: “David has been in discussions with Laura Anne Jones and it is likely that he will work for her at the Senedd. It’s not a done deal yet, though.
“He has worked all his life and needs to support his family. He made his first job application on the Sunday after losing his seat in the general election on the Thursday.
“He’s run some training work for organisations since, but would rather work in Wales than London.
“If he does go to work for Laura, he won’t be seeking the limelight or to outshine the boss.”
Ms Jones has been at the centre of a racism row in recent weeks after a screen grab of a text conversation surfaced in which she referred to Chinese people as “chinky spies”.
The South Wales East MS apologised for the “unacceptable” racist slur – but has not yet had the party whip withdrawn.
Investigation
The leader of the Welsh Conservatives in the Senedd, Andrew RT Davies, said he didn’t want to “tar and feather” her in public over the issue.
He removed Ms Jones from the shadow cabinet in May after it emerged she was being investigated by South Wales Police and the Senedd’s Standards Commissioner for allegedly falsifying expenses claims.
Officers were called in to investigate her after messages came to light that appeared to show she had instructed one of her staff to claim mileage expenses for journeys she had not taken.
Asked whether Mr Davies had any qualms working for Ms Jones when she was under investigation for alleged fraudulent expenses and making a racist comment, the friend said: “So far as he’s concerned, she hasn’t been found guilty of anything.
“He’s looking at the opportunity to do some work in a field where he obviously has expertise.”
Laura Anne Jones was invited to comment but did not respond.
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DTCD needs to be careful. Laura’s “backroom” is a den of dodgy activity. He must be aware by now of the carry on regarding her social media and the allegations regarding expenses. There again if she gets booted out he’s good and ready to take her place.
Fmr WS David TC Davies like a worm burrows his way back into the Senedd tainting its very foundations. More Tory nepotism. Looks as if the only one who wants to employ him is that xenophobe Laura Anne Jones seeing the Welsh public kicked his racist Gypsy hating behind out of office in May. Birds of a feather flock together. Like attract like. Fly to a steaming pile of …..
Like a bad Penny.
Let me guess RT is going for a job in HR??
From viceroy to tea boy in less than a month.
A cuckoo in the nest.
I wonder what the outcome will be.
If I was a betting man I’d say that the cuckoo will move the old bird out in due course. Or p.d.q if no one is looking !
Filling in expense forms is he?
He can have a chat with Kevin Brennan about missing the subsidised HoC team rooms.
Lettuce Liz got a job yet? She must be worth hiring by the Cons in Wales with her knowledge. ARTD a big fan of hers as well.
Her pension for being a short term P.M is well above 100k per annum. Add to that the fees she earns from talking garbage to audiences daft enough to shell out. No need to worry about that witch.
The former Secretary of State for keeping Wales down from afar is now coming here to take his coin off us, to punish us for getting rid of him and to tell us we CANNOT get rid of him. His entry level will give him the chance to undermine his ‘boss’, get rid of her and take over then get rid of RT and replace him. That’s the deal on the basis of ‘do you know who I am?’. Before all this plays out, i’m trying to imagine conversations in the office between him and his boss. The dehumanising toxicity… Read more »