Nick Ramsay: Welsh Conservative Senedd member loses crucial deselection vote

Nick Ramsay has represented Monmouth in the Senedd since 2007

A Tory member of the Welsh Parliament who threatened to sue party members over a deselection bid has lost a crucial vote of his local party.

Nick Ramsay attended a virtual meeting of the Monmouth Conservative Association (MCA) on Monday night.

Members backed a petition to reopen the reselection process, with a further meeting needed to ratify the move.

Mr Ramsay said he would continue to fight for the "best interests" of his constituents and party.

The Monmouth member of the Senedd (MS) had previously threatened legal action to prevent the meeting going ahead, but he withdrew his application for an injunction at a High Court hearing last Friday.

A judge ordered him to pay the association's legal costs, around £25,000.

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What happened at the meeting?

At least 150 Monmouth party members took part in a Zoom meeting on Monday evening - more than a fifth of the total membership.

In a secret ballot they approved a motion calling for the reconsideration of Mr Ramsay as their candidate for the 2021 Senedd elections.

BBC Wales understands that concerns were raised about Mr Ramsay's "disengagement" from the local party and a refusal to meet the association's chairman Nick Hackett-Pain to discuss election planning.

Mr Ramsay's previous threat to sue Gwent Police over his arrest on New Year's Day - from which Mr Ramsay was released without charge two days later - was also raised as a concern.

What was Nick Ramsay's response?

In a statement after the vote, Mr Ramsay said: "I accept the democratic process. It is still not clear why this petition was called.

"I stand by my position that a minority have caused this disruption which has distracted us from our core aims and responsibilities in such awful and difficult times."

He added: "I was adopted candidate over 18 months ago, and since that time I have fought day and night for the best interests of my constituents and my party. I will continue to do this."

Earlier this year, Mr Ramsay sued his leader in the Senedd, Paul Davies, over his suspension from the Conservative Group.

The suspension had been imposed after Mr Ramsay's arrest on New Year's Day, although Mr Davies was later forced to readmit Mr Ramsay to the group following a legal challenge.

A further meeting of the association would be required to formally trigger the reselection process, which Mr Ramsay will be able to take part in if it goes ahead.