James Evans sacked from Welsh Tories after 'engaging' with Reform UK
The MS for Brecon and Radnorshire has been removed from the shadow cabinet and had the Conservative whip withdrawn
Last updated 20th Jan 2026
A Welsh Conservative politician has been sacked over suspicions he was plotting to defect to Reform.
James Evans, the member of the Welsh Parliament for Brecon and Radnorshire, has been removed from the shadow cabinet and had the Conservative whip withdrawn.
In a statement on social media, Welsh Conservative leader Darren Millar said Mr Evans was "continuing to engage" with Reform representatives about the possibility of defecting.
Mr Evans was the shadow cabinet secretary for health and social care in the Senedd.
Mr Millar said in his statement: "This morning, I took the decision to remove James Evans from the Welsh Conservative shadow cabinet and withdraw the Conservative whip.
"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."
Reform has one Member of the Senedd after former Conservative Laura Anne Jones defected to join the party in July.
Mr Evans' removal comes after Tory leader Kemi Badenoch pre-emptively sacked her former shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick last week, hours before he became the most high-profile Tory figure to switch allegiance to Reform UK.
He was closely followed by Romford MP and ex-shadow foreign affairs minister Andrew Rosindell, who announced on Monday that he was also defecting to Nigel Farage's party.
In a post on social media on Tuesday afternoon, Mr Evans said his membership of the Conservative Party had been revoked because he "(challenged) the status quo".
He said: "The whip was removed primarily because I raised serious concerns about the refusal of the UK Conservative Party to recognise the reality that our country is broken.
"I believe Britain is broken. I was asked not to say this and instead to support a position that the UK is not broken.
"I could not, in all conscience, support a position that I believe is not true.
"I will be making a decision on my political future shortly, based on what is in the best interests of my family, my constituents and the people of Wales."