Welsh Tory group leader Paul Davies 'should lead party in Wales'

Suzy Davies said it has been unclear who has had the authority to deal "swiftly and fairly" with controversy

The way the Welsh Conservative Party has handled recent controversies shows its assembly group leader should run the party in Wales, an AM has said.

Suzy Davies said it has been unclear who has had the authority to deal "swiftly and fairly" with controversy.

The assembly member for the South West Wales region said the party in Wales has had a "difficult year" despite its general election performance.

Paul Davies has been assembly group leader since September 2018.

There has long been a feeling from some in the party that the person in that role should also lead the party in Wales.

Currently leadership is shared between Paul Davies, Welsh Conservative chairman Lord Davies of Gower, and Welsh Secretary Simon Hart.

But it is unclear which of the three is the party's most senior politician in Wales.

In recent months the Welsh Conservatives have been dealing with a series of controversies.

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Its Vale of Glamorgan candidate for next year's Senedd election, Ross England, was deselected in January over his role in the collapse of a rape trial.

Last month, a lawyer for Monmouth AM Nick Ramsay said he is considering further legal action against the party over his suspension.

And Bridgend MP Jamie Wallis has been criticised over his alleged involvement in a "sugar daddy" dating website.

Paul Davies beat Suzy Davies to lead the party in the Welsh Assembly

Speaking to BBC Wales at the Welsh Conservatives' spring conference in Llangollen, Ms Davies said it was "obvious" why Paul Davies, who beat her in the election for the group leadership, should lead the party in Wales.

"He's been chosen by the party to do precisely that. We had a vote less than two year ago when the party was asked who do they want to lead and it was him," she said.

"Obviously we had a difficult year - no point denying that.

"But it has not been clear who has had the authority to deal swiftly and fairly with everybody involved in those rather difficult stories and that does nobody any favours, not least the people involved in those situations.

"So we need some clear answers now on who can take decisions, who can make sure things happen and can reassure the party that when things go wrong, there's one person they can turn to to take responsibility."

Ross England has been dropped as a Welsh Conservative candidate for the 2021 Senedd election

At the conference on Saturday, Wales Office Minister David TC Davies told Tory activists it was the party's job to remove Labour from office in Cardiff Bay.

Referring to the UK's departure from the European Union in January, he said: "We've already changed the course of history in Britain and we can do it again in Wales."

Mr Davies suggested that if the Welsh Conservatives did not win a majority at the 2021 Senedd election the party could work with Plaid Cymru to oust Labour, but he said there would be no pre-election deals.