Tories must change quickly or ‘die’, Andrew RT Davies warns after election drubbing
The Conservative Party must change quickly or “die”, the party’s leader in the Senedd has said.
Andrew RT Davies added that colleagues should apologise for not keeping immigration promises and called for zero tolerance.
Mr Davies will address the Conservative conference in Birmingham on Sunday, the first gathering of Tory politicians and activists since July’s election defeat.
The party lost power at Westminster and was reduced to 121 MPs – with none left in Wales.
As well as failings on immigration, voters in Wales were turned off by the party’s “dogmatic” stance on the economy, Mr Davies said.
He said the Welsh public are “inherently conservative”, and “if the party returns to its values, it will win them over”.
Mr Davies criticised the Labour Party for its record in Wales, saying it is prioritising 20mph speed limits over the economy, schools and the NHS.
‘Sorry’
Speaking ahead of the conference, Mr Davies said: “The Conservative Party must change. No party has a God-given right to govern. We failed to keep our promises and we must say sorry.
“The Welsh people reject the extreme liberal ideology of Labour, Plaid Cymru nationalists and the Lib Dems.
“By proudly reflecting our conservative values, we’ll persuade them to back the Welsh Conservatives.
“But we must also change how we’re perceived on the economy. We must be seen as pragmatists, not ideologues. Our language on things like nationalisation has to change.
“Welsh industries and communities have paid the price of globalisation and our party must do more to protect them.
“We must show that we care, and defend their sense of community, togetherness and local pride.
“If our party changes, we’ll recover quickly, and we’ll succeed in 2026 and 2029. But if we don’t, we’ll die. That’s the choice.”
In the last Parliament, the Conservatives had 13 MPs in Wales but were wiped out in July.
Those who lost their seats included Welsh secretary David TC Davies, chief whip Simon Hart, former ministers Alun Cairns, Stephen Crabb and Fay Jones, along with Rishi Sunak’s former parliamentary aide Craig Williams.
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Since when was stating the bloody obvious headline news?
When it’s Andrew RT Davies saying it. First realistic thing he’s said for at least three years
RT is right in that the Tories must change but they won’t move in the necessary direction so, by his own decree, they will die and merge into Reform UK. He shows how clueless he is about Cymru stating it is ‘inherently Conservative’ (it does use a small c) but has he not noticed that our country reject his party at the polls EVERY SINGLE TIME? Alternative truth once again from a far flung fictitious reality.
Part of that change includes changing the leader.
“He said the Welsh public are “inherently conservative”, and “if the party returns to its values, it will win them over”.
Doing well so far! I’m not suggesting the Welsh public are about to storm the Winter Palace (unfortunately), but neither are they lined up for Davies’ gibbering Benito Mussolini tribute act.
“If change or die” are the only options for the Wales Tories, I strongly declare for the second.
Cap’n tub thumper is at the helm of the Titanic going around for another go, just to be sure? Hey Tory party, just go eh? Blokes a seriously stuck record, as are the other wannabe dictators running for power. I mean, come on, “the Welsh people reject etc?” The Welsh people kicked out all the Cons. Now we watch the head reform TV conspiracy gbeebies representative in the Senedd bang on about stuff endlessly hoping something sticks. That party needs an industrial grade laxative to remove the far right loons or they just rename to “reform II” ARTD can get… Read more »
…”back” to the Conservatives?
What worries me come the the 2026 Welsh election we have a type of Propotional representation election and Farage mob would do better under that system as they came second to a lot of parties in the General election AND I DO NOT WANT TO SEE REFOR get IN POWER IN WALES OR PICK LOTS OF SEATS so which is the lesser of the 2 evils Tory or Reform to my mind Labour are going to lose their grip in Wales and i hope these voters Vote for Plaid or even Lib/dems than any of the others
Quote: “The Welsh people reject the extreme liberal ideology of Labour, Plaid Cymru nationalists and the Lib Dems.” Is that why your party failed to win a single seat in Wales? Why don’t you learn your lesson as to why you lost and go from there? Hint: It isn’t because you weren’t right wing enough, so pandering to Reform voters isn’t going to cut it. Furthermore if you think abolition of the Senedd is going to win you votes then think again. Abolish the Assembly party failed to win more than 4% last time around. Being disolutioned with the Welsh… Read more »
Well said. I’m totally disillusioned with how the ‘mechanism’ of the Unions and the Labour Party working together to ensure ‘mates’ rather than genuine principled workers for a better society has undermined genuine socialism in Wales. Labour, rather than having their power being destroyed by Tory 1990’s evil demolition of the former EIGHT reasonably effective and efficient county councils, have now jumped on the county gravy train, and enjoyed PERSONAL financial benefit of a regular salary, at the expense of the previous well-funded system run by fewer expert officers advising volunteer councillors on expenses, who paid for good advice and… Read more »
“The Welsh people reject the extreme liberal ideology of Labour, Plaid Cymru nationalists and the Lib Dems”. By calling these parties and for example by implication, Jane Dodds and Ed Davey extremists, Andrew RT Davies simply displays how far to the right and extreme are his own views.
We have no real opposition in Wales and it’s partly due to ARTD. He is a very weak leader whose only tactic or policy is to criticise Labour.
So the most talentless blowhard of our nation yet again demonstrates a total lack of self awareness. And what are you banging on about now Andrew? Extreme ideologies? You’re on your own mate. If anyone is guilty of that it is you and the likes of Braverman, Patel, Badenoch, Jenrick, Truss and many more who call themselves “Conservatives”. True conservatives would respect the historic nationhoods and communities and languages on these isles. You and your mob are radical English imperialists who have hijacked the concept of Britishness to impose a monolingual monoculture on the peoples of Great Britain with the… Read more »
Liberal ideology is only a bad thing in an illberal mind. As for Plaid being “nationalists” and therefore bad, how does that square with being an out-and-out English nationalist (remember the pre-GE “everything is better in England” mantra) being a stance to be applauded.