Scottish MP represents the Tory party at first Welsh Questions since the election

Martin Shipton

Shadow Scottish Secretary John Lamont has been forced to step into the role of Shadow Wales Minister at Welsh Questions because of the vacuum left at the heart of the Conservative Party following the general election.

The election saw a wipeout of Tory MPs in Wales, leaving them with little choice but to appoint Lord Byron Davies of Gower as Shadow Welsh Secretary. As a member of the House of Lords, he cannot attend Commons departmental question sessions.

Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens has criticised the Conservative Party over Lord Davies’ appointment, telling them they are “scraping the barrel” for representation in Wales.

This week is the first Welsh questions of the new Parliament and an opportunity for issues and concerns of the people of Wales to be raised and debated.

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Riots

According to Ms Stevens, the absence of Tory MPs to take the role could partly be explained by Lord Davies’ comments on X (formerly Twitter) over the summer, in which she claimed he suggested that the recent riots were “politically justified”. The Conservative Party whips later said they had “spoken” to Lord Davies, but no further disciplinary action followed.

The Conservatives lost all representation in Wales at the general election. During the election campaign, Montgomeryshire MP and Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Prime Minister Craig Williams was revealed to have placed a bet on the date of the election prior to its announcement.

Former Welsh Secretary David TC Davies lost his seat of Monmouth, and is now working for Conservative Senedd Member Laura Ann Jones, who is herself the subject of a police investigation into her expense claims.

Former Commons Welsh Minister Fay Jones, who represented Brecon and Radnorshire, also lost her seat.

'Loose cannon'

Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens, the MP for Cardiff East, said: “Welsh Questions is a key part of our democratic system to raise the issues that matter, but the Tories have no voice for Wales.

“Two months have passed since the general election, and all the Conservatives have managed to do is appoint a loose cannon Lord. That tells you all you need to know about how much they value Wales.

“Labour looks forward to setting out the work the government has already done to improve the day-to-day lives of people in Wales, having reset our relationship with the Welsh Government after 14 years of Tory chaos."

Lord Byron Davies responded: “It is highly embarrassing that the Welsh Secretary has got basic facts completely wrong.

“Firstly, I said criticism of Labour for voting 130 times against the Rwanda scheme - which would have dealt with illegal immigration - was ‘politically justified’. Secondly, John Lamont is also the Shadow Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Wales. Is Jo Stevens honestly suggesting that someone who lives in another part of the UK cannot champion Wales? If so, that is a really bizarre view to hold."

He added: "Where was Jo Stevens when Wales really needed her? Where was she when it was decided that Wales would only be referenced once in the King's Speech? Where was she when, quite clearly, the Labour UK government decided to abandon plans to allow Welsh patients stuck on waiting lists to access NHS England?

“The only time the people of Wales have heard anything from Jo Stevens was when she constantly took to the airwaves to defend Vaughan Gething - a man who took hundreds of thousands of pounds from a twice-convicted criminal.

“We desperately need a Welsh Secretary who will stand up for Wales."