BORIS Johnson faces a fresh leadership crisis as a group of Welsh Tories consider splitting from the English party, according to reports.
The Telegraph has reported that senior members of the Welsh party had a meeting this week where they decided to take steps to separate from the English Tories, with a source citing partygate as the “last straw”.
The discussions have caused a stir among English Tory MPs as their party has become increasingly unstable after a slew of scandals and controversies.
One MP said that the potential split could herald the “balkanisation” of the Conservative party, with Scottish Tories also voicing discontent with the status quo.
The plans to separate have partly been a response to the Welsh Tories disastrous results in the May local council elections, with ambitions to put their split in motion over the summer and be ready for a rebranding for the October Tory party conference.
READ MORE: SNP slam Tories as devastating economic impact of Brexit revealed
A source said: “There are cliques forming in the Senedd. The Welsh Conservatives are looking to move into a more Welsh-focused direction, with the creation of a number of policies in the pipeline that will appeal more uniquely to the Welsh electorate, whilst maintaining a strong Unionist position.
“There will be clear blue water between both sides. We will rebrand the Welsh Conservatives and run different policies to the ones Westminster produces.
"Welsh Conservatives want Welsh-focused answers to Welsh issues that arise in the devolved competencies.”
A key cause of the Welsh disillusionment is that Johnson, who took on the role of Minister for the Union when he became PM, has neglected to meet with the Welsh party since their poor performance in the council elections. The Welsh Tories lost 45% of their councilors and control over Monmouthshire, their only local council in Wales .
A source said: “The mood is very much of abandonment by Boris. Senedd members were not even invited to Number 10 after the election.”
If the scheme to rebrand is to go ahead, the Welsh Conservatives will have to unanimously agree on the proposal.
READ MORE: Priti Patel wins court battle in bid to deport people to Rwanda
However, opposition to the plan has been made by James Evans, a Senedd member and policy director of the Welsh Conservative group. He is regarded as one of the staunchest supporters of the union among the Welsh Tories.
A source said he wants to “stay on the Right, whilst creating new policies that appeal to a unique Welsh electorate"
The leader of the Welsh Conservatives, Andrew RT Davies, declined to comment on the scheme.
He said: “We’re proud to work with our colleagues in Westminster in delivering solutions to the cost of living crisis and assisting Ukraine.
"Over the coming years, we will continue to make the case for a Welsh Conservative government with conservative values that reflect the values of the people of Wales and create a strong Wales in a strong UK.”
If successful, the plan would be a further humiliation for Boris Johnson in the wake of the partygate scandal and his narrow escape in the no-confidence vote.
An English Tory MP said that the separation could further the leadership crisis amongst the Conservatives.
The MP said: "I don't think any Conservative MP will stand by and see the Balkanisation of the Tory party."
Reports of the Welsh split follow a number of Scottish Tories voicing their frustrations with the current state of the Conservative party.
Four of the six Scottish Tory MPs publicly confirmed that they voted against Johnson in the no-confidence vote, while Andre Bowie, MP for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine, published a critical blog post on the ConservativeHome website.
He wrote: "We see evident now in the Conservative Party, my party, a strange mix of complacency, entitlement, fear and exhaustion.
"Where’s the spirit of 2005? Where’s the big idea? What’s the challenge to us? What’s the offer to the country?"
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel