Tory Senedd leader Paul Davies quits over alcohol row

The Conservative leader in the Welsh Parliament has quit after being seen drinking with other politicians in the Senedd, days into a pub alcohol ban.

His colleague, Darren Millar MS, has also announced he is stepping down.

They were seen drinking four days after Wales' pubs were banned from serving alcohol on their premises.

Mr Davies said his actions had "damaged the trust and respect I have built up over 14 years in the Welsh Parliament" with the people of Wales.

An investigation by the Senedd's authorities found that four members of the Welsh Parliament drank alcohol on its premises, four days after a Wales-wide alcohol ban came into force.

The Senedd has referred the "possible breach" of Covid rules to Cardiff Council and its own standards watchdog.

Mr Davies said he was stepping down with immediate effect, adding: "For the sake of my party, my health and my own conscience, I simply cannot continue in post."

In a statement he said: "I am truly sorry for my actions on the 8th and 9th December.

"They have damaged the trust and respect that I have built up over 14 years in the Welsh Parliament with my colleagues and the wider Conservative Party but more importantly with the people of Wales."

A third member of the Senedd, Labour's Alun Davies, has also apologised for drinking in the Welsh Parliament days after the ban started and has been suspended by his party.

BBC Wales has asked for clarification as to the identity of the fourth Senedd member investigators have referred to.

Paul Davies said during the incident he and his colleagues had maintained social distancing, adding: "There was no drunk or disorderly behaviour."

He said: "We did not have to be escorted out of the building as some reports have suggested.

"What we did was to have some alcohol with a meal we heated up in a microwave, which was a couple of glasses of wine on the Tuesday and a beer on the Wednesday. I broke no actual Covid-19 regulations."

He said since the start of the pandemic he has "followed the Covid-19 regulations to the letter".

"As with everyone across Wales, I have not seen family members or friends, I've not eaten at my favourite restaurants and, like you, we enjoyed a subdued Christmas compared to other years."

He said he was grateful for the support of his colleagues in the Welsh Conservative Party during "this difficult time", especially his wife Julie and Senedd colleagues who he said had " offered empathy, trust and advice".

He said: "Over the last couple of days, I have been speaking with colleagues in the Senedd and the wider Conservative Party.

"Whilst they have confirmed they do not wish to see me step down, I believe that my actions are becoming a distraction from holding this failing Welsh Labour-led Government to account."

Announcing he too was standing down, Mr Millar, the MS for Clwyd West since 2007, said: "While I am advised that I did not breach coronavirus regulations I am very sorry for my actions, especially given the impact of the tough restrictions that people and businesses are enduring.

"For this reason, and given that Paul Davies has resigned as Welsh Conservative Group Leader in the Senedd, I have decided to step down from my front bench role in the Welsh Parliament."

Had he stayed in post, Paul Davies would have been a wounded leader heading into the Senedd elections in May.

A set of elections which his party has high hopes for, in the wake of their 2019 general election performance where they made big inroads into Labour strongholds in the north east of Wales.

His successor will want to turn attention back to Labour's handling of the vaccine roll out, where Tory party members felt they had been making headway until this own goal from their senior team in the Senedd came to light.

But Mr Davies' departure could also bring into the open a broader debate within the party about their stance on devolution and whether they should be more overtly sceptical to head off the challenge from abolitionist parties.