THE political battle is heating up, with Tory Westminster Cabinet members switching to Reform, and the Conservatives booting out Senedd member James Evans.

While Robert Jenrick's defection, followed by Suella Braverman's staged unveiling by Nigel Farage in front of Veterans on Monday, grabbed national headlines, things have been shaken up locally as well.

With Brecon and Radnorshire MS Evans ousted from the Conservative group last week for talking to Reform, the latter's only Welsh Senedd member Laura Anne Jones, from Monmouth, told a political TV show that night the former Shadow Health spokesperson would be a ”great asset” to her party.

And Monmouthshire Council’s Conservative group leader – Mitchel Troy and Trellech councillor Richard John, who is standing for the Senedd in May – also weighed in, attacking Reform and its disgraced former Welsh leader Nathan Gill at a full council meeting.

South Wales East MS Ms Jones, who defected from the Tories last summer, told ITV Wales’ Sharp End: "I’ve not been privy to conversations, but James is a fantastic MS. I think he would be a great asset to our party.

"He says many of the right things, but we talk to an awful lot of people from all different parties...

"But we won’t just take anybody; we have a vetting process, a very strong one. People have to share the same values as us, and be absolutely dead set on our mission to get Wales and Britain back on its feet."

Senedd Conservative leader Darren Millar, announcing his decision to eject Mr Evans, said: “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...

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

Former Shadow Health spokesperson Mr Evans, who is now sitting as an Independent MS, said he felt the Tory party “no longer represents my conservative values and beliefs”.

Meanwhile, Cllr John used Friday’s Monmouthshire Council meeting to highlight Reform UK’s former Welsh leader’s jailing over Russian bribes.

The Conservative group leader said: “Any day now we are expecting Reform UK to announce a successor to Nathan Gill, the disgraced former leader of Reform UK in Wales, who used to represent Monmouthshire in the European Parliament...

“I think I probably speak for all members in this chamber that we would wish to send Nathan Gill’s successor our hopes that they won’t engage in the criminality and bribery and general treachery that their immediate predecessor did as leader of Reform UK in Wales.”

To laughter, council chairman, Labour’s Peter Strong, said: “I’ll allow councillors to keep their own counsel on that, maybe.”

Reform Wales responded: “Everyone in Wales is appalled by Nathan Gill’s treacherous behaviour. We look forward to Richard John campaigning to join the Tory Senedd group, led by a man who resigned as chief whip in disgrace after allegations of boozy covid breaches.”

Cllr John is a Conservative candidate for the new Sir Fynwy Torfaen Senedd seat.