Can the Welsh Conservatives hold together on devolution and Senedd deals?

A senior Conservative says he believes he has been suspended from the party as a warning “to instil fear” in other members who share his views.

Huw Davies was told last week he had been suspended from the Welsh Conservatives, but says he was given no explanation. Speaking to Sharp End, he claimed it was because of his anti-devolution beliefs and his criticism of Senedd group leader Darren Millar.Mr Davies said: "I have said that Darren Millar should resign and I have been critical of the fact that they have been open to working with Plaid Cymru, and I think the party's policy on devolution is out of touch.

"I don't think that's right, given the Conservative party faces the abyss."

Welsh Conservative Senedd leader Darren Millar has declined to comment on Huw Davies’ suspension but he denied people can not speak out, saying the Conservative party is "not a dictatorship" Addressing concerns from grassroots members about his refusal to rule out a post election deal with Plaid Cymru, he said party members needed to understand how the new Senedd works.

"No single party is going to get an overall majority," Mr Millar said.

"So if the Conservatives are to be in government, we are going to have to work with others to get there."

Beyond the debate over post-election cooperation, some members want the party to take a clearer stance against devolution.

At the Welsh Conservative Party conference this weekend, UK party leader Kemi Badenoch told ITV News she was a "devo-sceptic" but made clear it was not her focus.She said: "That's a great conversation for a think tank, I don't work for a think tank. I'm the leader of the Conservative Party."The Welsh Conservatives have been here before.Many in the party opposed the creation of a Welsh Assembly in the 1997 referendum. While they remain opposed to further members, the official party policy now supports the existence of the Senedd.

What is noticeable is that a new generation of young Conservatives wants to go further and reverse devolution altogether. They argue it would be a bold policy offer that could help combat Reform UK, a party that is not anti-devolution.As for Huw Davies, he said he will contest his suspension but does not rule out joining Nigel Farage’s party.He said: "At the moment, the Conservative party are leaving people like me behind, and when we are seeing the biggest realignment of politics since the 20th century, we shouldn't be doing that."

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