Gaffe-prone Welsh Conservative leader resigns following no confidence vote

Andrew RT Davies, who once called himself ‘19 stone of prime Welsh beef’, hit out at members of his Tory group in the Senedd, who he blasted as the ‘muesli and croissant brigade’, in his parting shot

The gaffe-prone leader of the Welsh Conservatives has resigned following a vote of no confidence.

Andrew RT Davies said he was standing down with regret, and conceded that as a “substantial minority” of his party did not support him his position was “untenable’’.

In his resignation letter, he hit out at his critics, praising Tory members who helped the party “not out of financial motivation or in the interests of personal gain, but because they believe passionately in conservative values and in the United Kingdom as our nation state. This stands in direct contrast to some Conservative Senedd members.”He later blasted a “muesli and croissant brigade” within the group.

He added that in recent months “it has become increasingly difficult” to take the political approach he wanted “due to resistance from some members within the Senedd Group”.

Davies referenced ‘resistance’ within the Conservatives in Welsh parliament in his resignaton letter (PA)

He added: “In many cases, it was impossible to offer clarity of message, with statements contradicted publicly by certain members. This made it unclear to the public exactly what the Conservative Party in Wales stands for.

“Last week, a group of Senedd members approached me, threatening to resign [from] 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.”

He later said his leadership offered a “full Welsh fry-up with extra black pudding. My detractors wanted more muesli and croissant. Obviously, the muesli and croissant was in the minority, were constantly running to the press, leaking stories, and that doesn’t do any good for a united party.”

The gaffe-prone politician once declared he was “19 stone of prime Welsh beef”.

He was also ridiculed after saying at the 2016 Conservative Party conference that “breakfast”, not Brexit, would be “a success”.

In 2014 he was accused of undermining his party’s opposition to wind farms after an application to build a 99.5-metre high wind turbine on his own land was submitted.

Former first minister of Wales Carwyn Jones even once accused him of being “the Homer Simpson of Welsh politics”, claiming he kept putting his foot in his mouth.

Last month he was accused of “shrugging off” an official reprimand in the Senedd after he was “censured” for falling foul of the rules over social media posts. In one he had claimed Wales had a “blanket” 20mph speed limit, despite there being exceptions to the policy and it only affecting built-up areas.

Lee Waters, a Labour member, criticised Mr Davies for not turning up to the chamber to respond to the reprimand, accusing him of “shrugging off” the complaints.

Mr Davies reportedly won the confidence vote – with seven voting against their leader and nine backing him to stay in post.

But his victory was not convincing enough to remain in the job. He will leave his post as leader of the Welsh Conservative Group in the Senedd once a successor is elected.