The Member of the Senedd for Brecon and Radnorshire, James Evans, is no longer a Welsh Conservative after the party withdrew the whip today.

The move was confirmed this morning by Welsh Conservative leader Darren Millar MS, who said Mr Evans had also been removed from the party’s Shadow Cabinet.

Mr Evans had served as Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care since December 2024.

In a statement, Mr Millar said the decision was taken after Mr Evans continued to “engage with Reform representatives about the possibility of defecting to the party”.

“This morning, I took the decision to remove James Evans from the Welsh Conservative Shadow Cabinet and withdraw the Conservative whip,” said Mr Millar.

"I did so after being informed by James that he was continuing to engage with Reform representatives about the possibility of defecting to the party, in spite of his personal assurances on Friday that he had rejected an approach they initiated last week.

"Understandably, I expect all Welsh Conservative MSs and candidates to be 100% committed to our party and our plan to fix Wales. Regrettably, James was unable to give me that commitment."

As a result, Mr Evans will now sit as an Independent Member of the Senedd.

In a separate statement issued by his office, Mr Evans said he had been “ousted” from the Conservative Party and claimed the decision followed long-standing concerns about the party’s direction at a UK level.

“I have been concerned for some time over the direction of the Conservative Party at a UK level and I feel it no longer represents my conservative values and beliefs,” said Mr Evans.

“Politics should be a broad church of views and opinions, and it is a sad day when the Party does not allow free speech or criticism.

“I respect my Welsh Conservative colleagues, particular Darren Millar MS as Leader and Paul Davies MS, but I feel the UK Conservative Party no longer represents my views and values.

“My focus remains 100% on representing the people of Brecon & Radnorshire to the very best of my ability. I will take some time in the coming weeks to consider my political future.”

The move follows comments made by Mr Evans on BBC television over the weekend, where he publicly criticised UK Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch and said he believed “Britain is broken”, distancing himself from the party’s national leadership.

During the programme, Mr Evans declined to rule out future talks with Reform UK, saying he did not want to become involved in a political “melodrama”.

Mr Evans was elected as MS for Brecon and Radnorshire in 2021.

He served as Shadow Minister for Mental Health, Wellbeing and Mid Wales between 2021 and 2024, and Shadow Minister for Rural Affairs in 2024, before taking on the role of Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care.

He had previously been announced as the Welsh Conservative lead candidate for the Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd constituency at the 2026 Senedd election.

The removal of the Conservative whip from James Evans has prompted responses from other political parties in Wales.

David Chadwick, Welsh Liberal Democrat MP for Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe, said: “The Conservatives in Wales are in complete disarray. One moment, they are attacking Reform as unserious; the next, their own Senedd Members are openly flirting with or actually defecting.

“Voters in Brecon and Radnorshire, and across Wales, deserve better than a revolving door of failed Conservatives jumping ship to a party that claims to offer something new but is made up almost exclusively of politicians who spent the last decade breaking the country.

“The Welsh Liberal Democrats are focused on standing up for local communities, fixing our broken NHS and social care system, and supporting local businesses across Wales.”

A Welsh Labour spokesperson said: "Just this weekend, James Evans was talking about 'his friend' Robert Jenrick and now it looks like he's jumping ship too. Wales is proud of its recycling record, but Reform really are proving themselves to be the biggest recycler of Tories.

"With no Welsh leader, and no Welsh policies, the people of Wales need to ask themselves, is Reform worth the risk?"

Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader, Jane Dodds MS, suggested that Mr Evans should face a by-election if he defects to another party.

“This episode lays bare the complete mess the Conservatives have created by chasing Reform instead of focusing on the people of Wales,” she said.

“Meanwhile, Reform is fast becoming a retirement home for Conservatives worried about losing their seats.

“When politicians jump ship based purely on whether it improves their chances of clinging on to power, it shows just how shallow and opportunistic this political game has become. Wales deserves better than parties tearing themselves apart while public services continue to struggle.

“If James Evans chooses to defect to another party, he should have the courage to face the electorate in a by-election and seek a fresh mandate from the people of Brecon and Radnorshire.”