Liz Truss insists Andrew RT Davies is leader of Welsh Conservatives in latest twist of debate

The Prime Minister says she considers Andrew RT Davies to be the leader of the Welsh Conservatives and not just the leader of the Senedd group.

That may not seem either controversial or important but it does mark a significant change at least in the public view of the Welsh leader and is the latest twist in a long-running debate within the party. 

Officially the role is “Leader of the Welsh Conservatives in the Senedd” but it is directly elected by members of the party in Wales, so many have argued that it should carry its own mandate.

However, many of those members don’t want to see any separation of the party in Wales and the wider UK.

It’s led to some confusion over the years, largely dependent on the personalities involved. 

They all agree that the UK party leader is the boss. But Wales has at least three senior figures who are seen as leaders.

Currently they are Andrew RT Davies, Robert Buckland as Secretary of State for Wales and the former MP Glyn Davies who’s Chairman of the party in Wales. 

Since the Conservatives have been in power in Westminster, different views have prevailed.

David Cameron made it clear in an interview with me that he saw Andrew RT Davies as being the overall leader in Wales. 

Under Theresa May and Boris Johnson, however, the title reverted to “leader of the Senedd group.”

Now the pendulum has swung back.  

In my interview with Liz Truss, I asked her: “Who is the leader of the Welsh Conservatives. Is it Andrew RT Davies? Is he the leader of all the Welsh Conservatives or just the group in the Senedd?”

She said: “He is the leader of the Welsh Conservatives.”

I asked again: "That is an official role as leader of all the Welsh conservatives?”

And she said simply and clearly: “Yes.” 

I asked Andrew RT Davies if he was pleased about the move. He may be privately but all he said to me was that “the reality is titles are meaningless: it’s about the substance of delivery."

He continued: “And what I want to be doing is making sure I'm working with colleagues not just in Wales but across the United Kingdom, delivering for people who are anxious about the future, because we know about the cost of living pressures and we want to build a solid future for whatever part of the United Kingdom we live in so that we can prosper going forward.”

'A child of the union'

I also asked Emily Poole, who as a special adviser to the former Welsh Secretary Stephen Crabb, worked with David Cameron when he declared that he saw the Welsh leader role as having wider responsibilities. 

She told me: “Well, nobody can say that Liz Truss hasn't been clear about her position on the union. 

“She describes herself as a child of the union and it's clearly very important to her. 

“I think this move that we've seen today with her really recognising the role of Andrew RT Davies as the leader of the Conservatives in Wales, is an important one, and I think it's the right move to make.”

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