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2018 Welsh Conservatives leadership election

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2018 Welsh Conservatives leadership election
← 2011 29 June 2018 (2018-06-29) – 6 September 2018 (2018-09-06) 2021 →
Turnout52%
 
Candidate Paul Davies Suzy Davies
Percentage 68.1% 31.9%
Leader before election

Andrew RT Davies

 Elected Leader

Paul Davies

The 2018 Welsh Conservatives leadership election was triggered on 27 June by the resignation of Andrew RT Davies.[1]

Davies had led the Welsh Conservatives since 14 July 2011.[2]

Paul Davies won the contest and became the new leader.

Procedure

[edit]

Candidates require a total of four nominations from Conservative AMs, including themselves, to stand.[3][4]

If there are three or more candidates, Conservative AMs vote until there are two candidates, who are then voted on by the party's membership.[5]

Timetable

[edit]
29 June Nominations open
16 July Nominations close
17 July Nominations announced
30 July Hustings start
10 August Hustings end
15 August Voting opens
5 September Voting closes
6 September Count and declaration

Campaign

[edit]

Leader Andrew RT Davies stood down in June 2018. WalesOnline reported that this was because he felt he did not have the full support of the Conservative group.[4] He told the BBC that he had been aware of plans to remove him for more than a year.[6] His departure was credited to what The Guardian described as his "uncompromising" support for Brexit.[7]

Deputy Leader Paul Davies was appointed as an Interim Leader, and announced that he would stand for the permanent leadership.[8][9]

In July, Suzy Davies announced she would stand, saying that she thought it was important for the Welsh Conservatives to have a contested election. She said she would be willing to work with Plaid Cymru to get rid of the Labour government in Wales.[3] She supported reducing taxes, as well as giving some business rates proceeds to councils to use them for private sector-led local development strategies. Suzy Davies also argued for giving the private sector a "real stake in the communities in which they develop" and giving workers an "emotional stake" in their employers.[10]

Paul Davies launched his campaign in Gwent, pledging to give Welsh Conservative Party members a vote on any potential coalition in the Welsh Assembly.[11] He said he would consider cutting taxes in Wales, as well as supporting high street businesses and redesign the business rates system.[10]

The South Wales Argus described Paul Davies as having the support of "most of the big hitters in the party".[12]

Candidates

[edit]
Candidate Political roles Nominations from AMs Endorsements
Paul Davies[1][13] AM for Preseli Pembrokeshire since 2007

Deputy Leader of the Welsh Conservatives since 2011

3 / 12
25.0%
Nominations

Darren Millar[14] Nick Ramsay[1]

Endorsements
Suzy Davies[3] AM for South Wales West since 2011

Shadow Minister for Tourism, Culture and the Welsh Language from 2011 to 2016

4 / 12
33.3%
Nominations
Endorsements

Declined

[edit]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d "Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies quits". BBC News. 27 June 2018. Archived from the original on 7 February 2020. Retrieved 2 July 2018.
  2. ^ "Andrew RT Davies elected Tory Welsh assembly leader". BBC News. 14 July 2011. Archived from the original on 15 July 2011. Retrieved 14 July 2011.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Suzy Davies to stand for Tory AMs leader". BBC News. 3 July 2018.
  4. ^ a b Shipton, Martin (28 June 2018). "The story behind Andrew RT Davies' ousting as Welsh Conservative leader". Wales Online.
  5. ^ "Welsh Conservatives set out timetable to find new leader in Assembly | Wales – ITV News". Itv.com. 29 June 2018. Retrieved 2 July 2018.
  6. ^ "Moves afoot to try and remove me". BBC News.
  7. ^ Morris, Steven (27 June 2018). "Welsh Tory leader Andrew RT Davies quits after Airbus row". The Guardian.
  8. ^ "County AM takes Conservative Interim Leader role in Assembly". Western Telegraph. 27 June 2018.
  9. ^ "Davies quits as Welsh Conservative leader". BBC News. 27 June 2018.
  10. ^ a b Jones-Evans, Dylan (27 August 2018). "The verdict on the contenders for the next leader of the Welsh Conservatives". Wales Online. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  11. ^ a b "Tory AM visits Gwent to launch leadership campaign". South Wales Argus. 3 August 2018. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  12. ^ "THE POLITICS FILE: What does autumn have in store for Welsh politics?". South Wales Argus. 29 August 2018. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  13. ^ a b c "The contenders to succeed Andrew RT Davies as leader of the Welsh Conservatives Assembly group". Wales Online. 27 June 2018. Retrieved 2 July 2018.
  14. ^ a b "Welsh Conservative leadership: 'No coronation of a Remainer'". BBC News. 29 June 2018. Retrieved 2 July 2018.
  15. ^ Williamson, David; Mosalski, Ruth (27 June 2018). "The contenders to succeed Andrew RT Davies as Welsh Tory leader". WalesOnline.
  16. ^ "Who will be the next Welsh Conservative assembly leader?". BBC News. 27 June 2018. Retrieved 2 July 2018.
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