Tory quits Senedd shadow role over ‘anxieties’
A WELSH Conservative politician yesterday quit the party’s frontbench in the Senedd in opposition to the Conservative Government Bill which modifies the Brexit deal signed with the EU.
David Melding said recent decisions by Prime Minister Boris Johnson had “done nothing to lessen” his anxieties about the future of the UK.
Mr Melding had been the Welsh Conservatives’ spokesman for culture and communications and shadow
Counsel General, and is due to retire from the Senedd at next year’s elections.
He has represented South Wales Central since the start of devolution in 1999 and posted his resignation letter to Welsh Conservatives leader Paul Davies in a tweet.
In the letter, Mr Melding said he’d had “misgivings for some time about aspects of the UK Government’s approach to developing a new relationship with the EU”.
“The publication today of the
Internal Market Bill has done nothing to lessen my anxieties about the dangers facing our 313 year old Union,” Mr Melding said. “Indeed they have been gravely aggravated by the decisions made in the last few days by the Prime Minister.
“It is clearly not feasible for me to continue in my post of shadow Counsel General while holding such reservations.”
Mr Melding said he would now be able to speak out against “what I consider to be a lack of statecraft at this crucial time for the UK’s very survival, as a multi-national state”.
He added he would continue to offer Mr Davies “all possible support from the backbenches”.
In reply, Mr Davies said: “I’m sorry to lose David from my shadow cabinet, he has been a fantastic ambassador for the Welsh Conservatives over 20 years that he has been a Member of the Welsh Parliament. I’m grateful that he will continue to support me from the backbenches.”