Welsh Tory warns party against ousting leader again

Kemi Badenoch took over the Conservatives after the party's defeat at the general election

A senior Welsh Conservative politician has warned his party against ditching leader Kemi Badenoch, even if the Tories perform poorly in next May's Senedd and local English elections.

Samuel Kurtz acknowledged the elections were a "test" of the party's leadership, but asserted "regicide" was the last thing the party should consider currently.

Recently, there has been speculation about Badenoch's future, despite her being less than a year in post. But Kurtz told BBC Wales she was owed "a bit of loyalty."

Asked whether her future could depend on results next May, Kurtz said: "Some may think that, but I think regicide is the last thing that my party should be thinking of."

Kurtz said the Conservative had previously gone through leaders like a "hot knife through butter" - with four leaders in the past three years - stressing it had not done the party's image any favours.

He urged colleagues to show "a bit of loyalty" to Badenoch, who he said was "doing a damn good job in bringing everybody back together, in working hard and holding the UK Labour government to account".

Privately some Tory MPs say Badenoch is under pressure and could be running out of time.

In an interview with BBC Wales last week she admitted she would not turn the party's fortunes around "overnight", something she has repeated at the party's conference in Manchester.

'Tough' elections

Kurtz admitted next year's Senedd election would be "tough" because the party was still paying a penance for the past few years in government at Westminster.

But he said he thought recent polls were underestimating the level of support for the Tories, with some voters too "shy" to admit they would vote Conservative.

He will be number two on the list of Conservative candidates, behind Paul Davies, in the Ceredigion Penfro constituency under Wales's new-look system of proportional representation next May.

As a rough guide, winning 12% of the vote would be enough to win one of the six seats available.

Kurtz said he thought a 20% showing for the Conservatives in the new seat would be enough for both he and Davies to be elected.

On Badenoch's leadership, former Conservative MP and MS, Lord Davies of Gower, told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast that Kemi Badenoch was "very forthright".

He added: "I can assure you she knows which direction she wants to go in, particularly when it comes to issues such as immigration".

Asked if he "fully" supported her, he replied: "Of course I do".

Additional reporting by Mark Palmer.