Monmouth Assembly Member Nick Ramsay was dramatically sacked from the Assembly Tory shadow cabinet last week after he refused to support his leader over tax-raising powers for the Welsh Assembly.

Mr Ramsay who has been an AM since 2007, was among three other Tory AMs also dropped from the shadow cabinet by the leader, Andrew T Davies. But in addition to this, Mr Ramsay also found out about the decision to sack him from his post via a Labour AM while on a train to Brussels.

Since the announcement, the Conservative Party in Monmouthshire has thrown its weight behind Mr Ramsay, and Chairman of the Conservative Association in Monmouthshire Mr Barrie O Keefe said, "We the officers and members of the Monmouth Conservative Association are most disappointed with the events which have taken place in Cardiff Bay in the last few days.

"To say the least we are not best pleased that he and his colleagues were put in this impossible position. The party in Monmouth is solidly supporting Nick Ramsay in this issue, and we have made our feelings abundantly clear to the Board of the Welsh Conservative Party".

Local MP David Davies has also offered his support to Mr Ramsay, and defended his decision to stand up against the decision. Mr Davies said, "I think it is absolutely right that we should restrict the powers of the Assembly to raise taxes and I entirely support Nick in voting the way he did. Furthermore from time to time MPs and AMs find themselves in the position of having to vote against their leadership on a matter of conscience and I am surprised that Nick's right to do so was not properly respected."