Welsh election: Fresh faces in new Conservative Senedd team

Natasha Asghar is the first woman from a Black or Asian Minority Ethnic background to be elected to the Senedd

Tory Senedd leader Andrew RT Davies has announced his new team of spokespeople, with many fresh faces as half of the Conservative group are newly elected.

They include Peter Fox, who speaks on finance matters, transport/technology spokeswoman Natasha Asghar and Sam Rowlands, who has local government.

Returnees Laura Jones, Russell George and Mark Isherwood take on education, health and social justice respectively.

Mr Davies said the team was "brimming with energy and ideas".

• New Plaid Senedd members get frontbench roles

• New health and education ministers for Wales

Although Mr Fox is new to Cardiff Bay, the Monmouth member of the Senedd (MS) is an experienced local politician, having led Monmouthshire council for 13 years.

He became the Conservative candidate after previous Monmouth Tory Senedd member Nick Ramsay was deselected.

South Wales East MS Ms Asghar, the first woman from a Black or Asian Minority Ethnic background to be elected to the Welsh Parliament, is the daughter of Mohammad Asghar.

Mr Asghar, who died last year ago at the age of 74, became the first ethnic minority member of what was then called the Welsh Assembly in 2007.

Local government spokesman Sam Rowlands was newly elected, earlier this month, to represent a North Wales regional seat. He has been leader of Conwy council.

Preseli Pembrokeshire MS Paul Davies, who quit in January as Conservative group leader after he was seen drinking with other politicians on Senedd premises during a pub alcohol ban, is Welsh Conservative economy spokesman.

Clwyd West MS Darren Millar, who had already returned to the chief whip role of enforcing party discipline he resigned after the drinking row, will also speak on constitutional matters and north Wales.

Climate change is the responsibility of Aberconwy Senedd member Janet Finch-Saunders.

New finance spokesman Peter Fox led Monmouthshire council for 13 years

The other spokespeople are:

• Equalities (and deputy whip) - South Wales West MS Altaf Hussein

• Culture, tourism and sport - South Wales West MS Tom Gifford

• Mental health, wellbeing and mid Wales - Brecon and Radnorshire MS James Evans

• Rural affairs and Welsh language - Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire MS Samuel Kurtz

• Social partnership - South Wales Central MS Joel James

• Social services - Vale of Clwyd MS Gareth Davies

The Conservatives won 16 of the 60 Senedd seats on 6 May, meaning they make up the second-largest group in Cardiff Bay, behind Labour's 30 seats but beating Plaid Cymru's tally of 13.

Andrew RT Davies said: "After our best ever Welsh election result, this is a new team brimming with energy and ideas to tackle the big challenges Wales faces as we come out of the pandemic.

"The Welsh Conservatives have delivered a fresh team to the Senedd and I'm excited to see a new shadow cabinet full of talent and expertise from outside parliament enter the political fray in Wales."

The Conservative group of 16 is its largest ever in Cardiff Bay

He pledged the team would be "holding Labour to account, putting forward positive policy alternatives as we build a real alternative and ensuring that, through strong opposition, we deliver better government".

Plaid Cymru's team, which also contains many new MSs, was announced by its leader, Adam Price, last week.

First Mark Drakeford reshuffled his team of Welsh government ministers on 13 May.