Welsh Tories ‘struggling to find Senedd candidates’
Martin Shipton
The Welsh Conservatives are struggling to find candidates for next year’s Senedd election, we have been told.
Several factors are said to be responsible, including a widely-held belief that the party will fare very badly.
A disaffected former Tory local association chairman drew our attention to the situation in the new ‘super-constituency’ of Bangor Conwy Môn, which after a selection process has been left with just two candidates for the six seats available under the new electoral system.
Under the new arrangements, the number of Senedd Members will increase from 60 to 96. Wales will be split into 16 ‘super constituencies’, each of which will see six MSs elected by the ‘closed list’ method of proportional representation, under which parties will decide the order in which their candidates will be elected if sufficient votes are secured.
Incumbency rights
Sitting MSs have incumbency rights, which means they are automatically given the top position on their local ‘closed list’. In Bangor Conwy Môn, Janet Finch-Saunders, the sitting MS for the old seat of Aberconwy, will take the number one slot.
Only two other party members applied for the remaining five places: Mostyn Jones, who works for Ms Finch-Saunders, and Cllr Harry Saville, who works for current North Wales regional MS Sam Rowlands. In the internal party selection contest, Cllr Saville defeated Mr Jones to secure the second place on the closed list.
Mr Jones has now withdrawn his application to be a candidate, and the party is four candidates short in Bangor Conwy Môn.
‘Complete mess’
The disaffected ex Tory chairman told us: “The party in Wales is in a complete mess. It’s incredible that it can only find two candidates out of six in a constituency covering areas that had two Conservative MPs until last year. This is a cataclysmic moment for the party, but I don’t think senior officials realise just how bad things are.
“Some people are saying the party could be down to just four seats after the Senedd election. And some don’t think that would necessarily be a bad thing. They think Reform could take control and that the Senedd would descend into chaos. The Conservatives would then ride in to capitalise on the chaos.
“This, of course, is absolute fantasy. But it’s not the first time people have indulged in fantasies. The first time Andrew RT Davies was removed as leader, he was replaced by Paul Davies, a Welsh speaker from Pembrokeshire they thought would be able to secure a coalition deal with Plaid Cymru. But Plaid Cymru wouldn’t play along and now they’ve ruled out doing any kind of deal with the Conservatives. They really have blown it.”
A Conservative spokesperson would only say: “Senedd selections are currently underway and will be announced in due course.”
Sarah Atherton
Meanwhile former Wrexham Tory MP Sarah Atherton appeared to be playing a ‘come and get me’ game with Reform.
She said she wants to stand in next May’s Senedd election, but couldn’t do so for the Conservatives because they ‘no longer align with her values or ideology’. She also complained about the Tories’ ‘incumbency first’ rule.
Asked by the BBC whether she had joined Reform UK, she said that she hadn’t. However, last year she said the Conservatives should ‘embrace’ Reform UK leader Nigel Farage.
Last month, South East Wales MS Laura Anne Jones defected to Reform UK, becoming its first member in the Senedd, following in the footsteps of former Welsh Secretary David Jones.
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With respect the tories aren’t going to need to find 96 candidates for the Senedd election lists next year because – in cricketing parlance – they aren’t likely to ‘trouble the scorers’ much next May.
Yes, but all the parties seem to be struggling (see recent article on Welsh Labour). This is the product of the daft closed list system. Why would anyone half decent put themselves forward to be 5th or 6th on a list with more chance of landing on the moon than being elected? Instead we get third rate incumbents and a few politicos at the top of the list.
In our constituency, there is one list candidate who is high up the party list and will likely become an MS with 11 votes from the local party!
From my experience you’ll struggle to get 2 or 3 moderate candidates in each constituency. The days of 40+ people putting their name forward has long gone from British politics!
That doesn’t surprise me unfortunately. It’s not much better at UK level; but a particular problem for the Senedd. The quality of members is already very low and it seems that the make up of the next intake will be largely party apparatchiks and Reform disrupters. Not a good look for devolution and not much of a basis for resolving major problems.
It’s not that attractive a job, to be honest. Even senior roles, you’re largely powerless, you can expect abuse, you’re away away from the family, salary is OK but not amazing, and I think it’s largely thankless, even if you do the right/good thing.
I don’t disagree; but if all our national Parliament amounts to a talking shop for powerless third raters, then eventually it erodes the institution itself. I think there is still clear majority support in Wales for devolution; but that majority is perhaps not as wide as five years ago. The sizeable Reform bloc which looks likely to be elected next year will not help either. I despair sometimes of the lack of foresight displayed by Messrs Drakeford and Price in particular; but also others.
Then campaign for devomax and take the training wheels off.
Not until there is some genuine calibre around.
Heard the one about the chicken and the egg?
Wales has neither unfortunately.
Wales has plenty of ambitious and talented people but they’re forced to go and work in London to achieve their goals because that’s where the wealth and opportunity has been hoarded thanks to the unique way the UK is rigged by those in London to benefit London.
If similar opportunities are available here many will return, and future generations won’t have to leave.
Reform are hoovering up all the people with tendencies to not like anyone who are not white. Funny that Tory party had a lot of those knocking around and flocking to where they can keep their wage. And their thoughts.
‘The Welsh Conservatives are struggling to find candidates for next year’s Senedd election, we have been told.’
Not really surprising. Few people are likely to be noticeably keen to board a sinking ship.
… when the rats are leaving it, you know SS Tory is in trouble.
Not half!
Obviously they’re all jumping to Reform, aka the New Tories.. Aka.. Neotories?
Nah, Reform are the “Temu Tories”.
It’s OK, they won’t need any.
They will he back once Farage leaves the scene. He doesn’t seem capable of building parties that can survive without him.
I struggle with the concept of a Welsh Tory. So am I surprised they are finding it difficult to put up Senedd candidates? Not really. Even when devolution was in its infancy, dare I say weakest, never had a hope in hell of ever becoming the largest party in the Senedd let alone Welsh Government, even with the aid of Tory party coffers in London and the rabid Anti-Welsh red top media. They will never put Wales interests first. Never. The only qualifications needed? Do you oppose all things Wales and Welsh. If yes. Welcome to the Welsh Conservatives. So… Read more »
GOOD the same should be for liebour it will be between Reform and Plaid and hope to god plaid win not the Fascists
Wales needs parties with different ideologies and beliefs to become truly democratic and develop its potential; however those associated to Westminster will not help the cause. Socialist ideologies work well in both wealthy and poor countries to ensure fairness and equality; however their policies which lack innovation do nothing to build an economy and encourage prosperity. Those conservatives who believe in Wales and its potential to do better should be migrating to Gwlad and not taking a risk on Reform who will create havoc within our Nation.
The former tory is Huw Davies again?
Of course, Johnson’s 2019 purge of the moderates won’t have helped. The honourable and decent minority are so horrified by what their party became they switched to the Dems and will never return.
Oh no. Anyway….
Tories here are going from a party in Cymru, who’s masters in London didn’t have a clue who the leader was, to a party who’s masters in London do not see a need for a leader in Cymru. Both party’s show utter contempt for us.
They’ve all left one gang of vermin to join another.
I hope they actually leave Wales completely.
At least they had a candidate in the by-election in Abermaw in Gwynedd last night. Plaid Cymru couldn’t be bothered
A candidate who only got 3% of the vote.Still it was a positive night in Abermaw as Reform came a poor third place behind the 2 Independent candidates.
It’s easy to be indignant about the Tories as they’ve created an enormous mess since 2016, possibly longer. But I’m personally saddened to see the demise of the Tory party. I’ve never ever voted tory, but despite its flaws, it is far more acceptable than Reform. Its decline marks the end of political stability in the country and leaves a vacuum in the country’s balance of ideas. A pro business party is still needed in parliament to be the voice of business, just Labour are the voice of public services and charities. Reform are looking like becoming the biggest party… Read more »