A senior Welsh Conservative has been expelled from the party after admitting he was contemplating a defection to Reform UK.
James Evans has been removed from the shadow cabinet and had the party whip withdrawn, effectively making him an independent, Welsh Tory leader Darren Millar confirmed.
Millar said the decision was taken on Tuesday morning “after being informed by James that he was continuing to engage with Reform representatives about the possibility of defecting,” despite having given “personal assurances” on Friday that he had rejected such an approach.
In a statement, Evans confirmed his expulsion, saying the Conservative Party no longer reflects his values. BBC Wales reported that the formal process to terminate his party membership is now underway.
Speculation over Evans’ political future intensified following a BBC interview on Sunday, during which he criticised UK party leader Kemi Badenoch and declined to reveal whether he had spoken to Reform UK. He also edited a Facebook post on Monday to remove a reference to his party affiliation.
“I will take some time in the coming weeks to consider my political future,” Evans said. Representing Brecon and Radnorshire in the Senedd, he added:
“I have been concerned for some time over the direction of the Conservative Party at a UK level and I feel it no longer represents my conservative values and beliefs. Politics should be a broad church of views and opinions, and it is a sad day when the party does not allow free speech or criticism.”
In his statement, Millar confirmed he had stripped Evans of his role as shadow health secretary on Tuesday morning.
“I expect all Welsh Conservative MSs and candidates to be 100% committed to our party and our plan to fix Wales. Regrettably, James was unable to give me that commitment,” he said.
Evans’ sacking follows months of speculation and repeated denials that he might join Nigel Farage’s Reform UK. The Member of the Senedd (MS) previously accused fellow Senedd Tory Laura Anne Jones of having “no principles” after she joined Reform in the summer, and described Farage as someone who “will say anything to get a vote” during a Cardiff Bay debate in 2025.
The move comes less than a week after former shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick joined Reform following his dismissal by Badenoch.
Welsh Labour commented: “Wales is proud of its recycling record, but Reform really are proving themselves to be the biggest recycler of Tories.”
Welsh Liberal Democrat MP for Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe, David Chadwick, said: “The Conservatives in Wales are in complete disarray. One moment, they are attacking Reform as unserious; the next, their own Senedd Members are openly flirting with or actually defecting.
“Voters in Brecon and Radnorshire, and across Wales, deserve better than a revolving door of failed Conservatives jumping ship to a party that claims to offer something new but is made up almost exclusively of politicians who spent the last decade breaking the country.
“The Welsh Liberal Democrats are focused on standing up for local communities, fixing our broken NHS and social care system, and supporting local businesses across Wales.”
