Tory MS calls for by-election following Laura Anne Jones defection to Reform UK

Emily Price 

A Conservative Member of the Senedd has called for a by-election following the defection of her Tory colleague Laura Anne Jones to Reform UK.

Janet Finch Saunders made the comments to Nation.Cymru after sending out a press release about two former Conservative councillors from Conwy who had defected to Nigel Farage’s party on Wednesday (July 23).

In the scathing press note, Finch Saunders accused Cllr Louise Emery and Cllr Tom Montgomery of betraying the electorate.

She went on to call for their double resignation so that a by-election could be triggered.

The Aberconwy MS had campaigned for the two councillors personally when they were standing to be Conservative councillors.

She described the pair as “glory hunters” who would soon realise that they have been “misled by Reform Cymru”.

Finch Saunders said that Llandudno voters wanted Conservative representatives – not Reform members.

‘Dissapointed’

We asked Finch Saunders if she felt there should also be a by-election for Laura Anne Jones’ South Wales East regional seat.

The former Tory shadow cabinet secretary jumped ship to Reform UK in a shock announcement by Clacton MP Nigel Farage at the Royal Welsh Show on Tuesday (July 22).

Jones said she could no longer justify Conservative policies on the doorstep.

Finch Saunders told Nation.Cymru she believed there should should now be a by-election for Jones’ seat because the electorate did not vote for a Reform UK Senedd Member.

Asked how she felt about her former colleague’s exit from the the Conservative Party after 31 years, Finch Saunders said: “I am bitterly disappointed, however this is a matter for her and her own conscience.”

Text messages

In Wales’ parliament there is currently no mechanism for a by-election to be triggered when a Senedd Member defects from their party.

This means that at present an MS can jump ship to a new party as many times as they want – provided another party will have them.

Reform’s newest recruit was first elected to the then National Assembly in 2003.

She served one term before being re-elected at the 2021 election.

Prior to her defection, Jones served as the Tory Senedd group’s spokesperson for local government, housing and the armed forces.

Over the last year, Reform’s first Senedd Member has been embroiled in several controversies including a racist and offensive text messages, her office culture and allegations she had falsified milage claims.

At the press conference in Builth Wells this week, she hinted she had been cleared of any wrong doing by the Senedd’s Standards Commissioner.

Report

It is understood that Jones was keen for the final report to be made public before the Senedd broke for recess and before she revealed her defection.

The Commissioner’s findings are expected to be made public soon.

In March, Jones was reselected by the Tories for the new Sir Fynwy Torfaen Senedd seat.

But as her Conservative colleague Peter Fox had also been granted incumbency, she she would have faced a head to head battle for the top spot on the party list.

Reform UK was invited to comment but did not respond.