Welsh Tories need to 'refresh' direction says leadership candidate

One of the two candidates hoping to become the next Welsh Conservative leader says her party needs to 'refresh' its direction in Wales.

Suzy Davies will be launching her campaign for the top Tory job at an event in Bridgend.

She and Paul Davies are vying to become the next leader after Andrew RT Davies resigned suddenly last month.

She's expected to say that her campaign will be about the future more than the past and that she believes she's the one who can 'refresh the direction of the Welsh Conservatives so that we can free Wales from the Labour control that it has experienced for almost twenty years.'

The AM for South Wales West is expected to acknowledge that ousting Labour from government will involve working with other parties.

Both candidates have expressed willingness to consider taking part in a future coalition governments.

Suzy Davies is expected to say that her party needs to reach out to other parties as well as to those from no parties.

She'll also say it needs to change to recognise the reality of devolution, changing the rules so that whoever wins the post is not just leader of the Assembly group but leader of the wider party in Wales.

There have been increasing calls for an overhaul of the way the party operates in Wales.

The party chairman, Byron Davies, told me that he has an open-mind when it comes to the question of the status of the leader but that the party in Wales is linked constitutionally and financially to the party in England.

You can read his comments and other calls for change in my article here.

Suzy Davies will also use her campaign launch to set out more of her political ideas based on freedom of choice and personal responsibility, summed up in her call for 'irresponsible drinkers' to be charged if they 'take up the valuable time of our ambulance service.'

Suzy Davies' opponent, Paul Davies launched his campaign in Usk last Thursday.

You can seea special Sharp End in which both candidates debate head-to-head for the first time here.

The winner of the election will be announced on September 6th.