Andrew RT Davies has resigned as leader of the Welsh Conservatives in the Senedd after narrowly surviving a confidence vote in his leadership of the party in Wales
Andrew RT Davies has resigned as leader of the Welsh Conservatives in the Senedd.
He wrote to the Welsh Conservatives’ chairman after a confidence vote in his leadership of the Welsh Conservative group. He narrowly survived the vote with nine Tories voting for him and seven against him.
Mr Davies said a “substantial minority” of his party do not support him and his position is “untenable”. He said the Welsh Conservative Party must “decide exactly what it stands for” and confirmed he will not stand in the leadership contest to find his successor.
Inn a statement, He wrote: “Last week, a group of Senedd members approached me, threatening to resign their positions in shadow cabinet if I did not agree to step down as leader. I therefore requested a motion of confidence in my leadership to be held at a meeting this morning.
“This vote has now taken place. It was clear from the result that a substantial minority of the group do not support our approach, despite it being the only viable strategy available. While I would have been honoured to continue as leader, my position is consequently untenable.”
Mr Davies has been under fire amid criticism of the direction of the Tories in Wales under his leadership. He has also been under pressure over social media controversies.
It comes as Reform UK surges in the poll in Wales. The Tories were polling in fourth place at 19%, behind Labour and Reform at 23%, and Plaid Cymru at 24%, an ITV Wales/Cardiff University poll revealed at the weekend.
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