James Evans MS ousted from the Conservative Party for not toeing the party line

Emily Price 

Welsh Conservative Senedd Member James Evans has had the whip removed and been ousted from the Conservative Party for not toeing the party line.

This means that with immediate effect, the MS for Brecon and Radnorshire will sit as an Independent Member of the Senedd, whilst he considers his political future outside of the Conservative Party.

James Evans said: “I have been concerned for some time over the direction of the Conservative Party at a UK level and I feel it no longer represents my conservative values and beliefs.

“Politics should be a broad church of views and opinions, and it is a sad day when the Party does not allow free speech or criticism.

“I respect my Welsh Conservative colleagues, particular Darren Millar MS as Leader and Paul Davies MS, but I feel the UK Conservative Party no longer represents my views and values.

“My focus remains 100% on representing the people of Brecon & Radnorshire to the very best of my ability. I will take some time in the coming weeks to consider my political future.”

The Leader of the Welsh Conservatives Darren Millar issued the following statement.

He 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.”

Speculation

It comes after speculation mounted that Evans was about to jump ship to Reform UK.

Last week the Brecon MS publicly criticised the leader of his own party and defended ex-minister Robert Jenrick when he jumped ship to Reform.

Evans also appeared on several TV programmes last week where he appeared to nod in agreement with Reform politicians.

We contacted Evans on Friday afternoon (January 16) and asked if he was planning to change parties – he avoided answering the question.

Several of Evans’ Tory colleagues told Nation.Cymru his behaviour was damaging the party’s Senedd election campaign.

He has previously slammed Nigel Farage’s party as not being credible.

‘Slogans’

In March last year he published a post to Facebook saying: “Reform has no leader, no policies, just complaints and slogans.

“It’s easy to jump ship when things get tough, but real leadership takes courage and principles to drive change from within.

“I promise my constituents that I won’t sacrifice my values for political opportunity.

“Instead, I’ll stand firm and work with my Welsh Conservative colleagues to fix Wales for the benefit of everyone.”

It came after Evans allegedly made several bids to join Reform UK – an accusation he later denied.

Last year, a senior Reform UK source told us Evans had had a discussion about defecting to Farage’s party in November 2024 when he attended a farmers protest in Westminster.

A separate Reform UK source alleged that on March 7th last year, Evans had told them that he wouldn’t be far behind his Conservative colleagues who had already jumped ship.

‘Flirting’

The source said: “Over the following weekend I understand he tried joining Reform UK again, but as was the case in the previous October – he was turned down because he insisted he would only join if he was offered No1 status on the party’s list of 6 Senedd candidates.”

Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader, Jane Dodds says Evans should face a by-election if he defects to Reform UK.

She said: “This episode lays bare the complete mess the Conservatives have created by chasing Reform instead of focusing on the people of Wales. Meanwhile, Reform is fast becoming a retirement home for Conservatives worried about losing their seats.

“When politicians jump ship based purely on whether it improves their chances of clinging on to power, it shows just how shallow and opportunistic this political game has become. Wales deserves better than parties tearing themselves apart while public services continue to struggle.

“If James Evans chooses to defect to another party, he should have the courage to face the electorate in a by-election and seek a fresh mandate from the people of Brecon and Radnorshire.”

‘Unserious’

Responding to the removal of the Conservative whip from Evans, Welsh Liberal Democrat MP for Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe, David Chadwick, said: “The Conservatives in Wales are in complete disarray. One moment, they are attacking Reform as unserious; the next, their own Senedd Members are openly flirting with or actually defecting.

“Voters in Brecon and Radnorshire, and across Wales, deserve better than a revolving door of failed Conservatives jumping ship to a party that claims to offer something new but is made up almost exclusively of politicians who spent the last decade breaking the country.

“The Welsh Liberal Democrats are focused on standing up for local communities, fixing our broken NHS and social care system, and supporting local businesses across Wales.”

A Plaid Cymru spokesperson said: “If James Evans’ defection talks with Reform come to fruition – who he previously labeled ‘unserious’ – then this is further proof that Reform are just a bunch of ex-Tories who prioritise their careers over solving the issues facing communities across Wales.

“Only Plaid Cymru can be trusted to put the interests of Wales first with our credible and ambitious plans.”