The 2024 Welsh Conservatives leadership election was triggered by the resignation of Andrew RT Davies on 3 December 2024.[1][2]Darren Millar was the only candidate who stepped forward for the leadership.[3][4][5] As no other candidate was nominated by the deadline for nominations at 17:00 GMT on 5 December, he was elected unopposed as the new leader of the Welsh Conservative Group in the Senedd.[6][7]
A confidence motion had been held seeking the removal Davies at a meeting of the Conservative Senedd group on 3 December 2024. Although Davies won the motion with 9 votes to 7, he proceeded resign as leader in the hours following the vote.
Darren Millar was the only candidate to stand in the ensuing leadership election, and was consequently announced as the new Welsh Conservative leader on 5 December.
Background
On 28 November 2024, a group of shadow cabinet ministers approached Davies threatening to resign if he did not vacate his position as Conservative Senedd group leader.[8][9]
A confidence vote was held at party's weekly group meeting on the following Tuesday, 3 December 2024.
Following the vote, several members of Davies' shadow cabinet threatened to resign their positions.[10]
Thus, despite a narrow majority of the Senedd group backing his continued leadership, Davies published his resignation statement on Twitter shortly before noon on 3 December 2024.[12][13]
Election
In the subsequent leadership election that followed Davies' resignation, Darren Millar stood as a candidate and was unopposed. Therefore, on 5 December it was announced that Millar would become the new Welsh Conservative leader.[14]
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