Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has told Sky News that the party will not form “any coalitions” with Reform UK “at national level”.
But the party’s leader in the Senedd, Darren Millar, said he would be open to working with other parties if it meant seeing the Conservatives in government in Wales.
Speaking after she gave a speech at the Welsh Conservatives’ annual conference in Llangollen, North Wales, Ms Badenoch said talk of coalitions were a “distraction”.
“I have always said that at national level we are not forming any coalitions or forming any deals or pacts with Reform,” she added.
“Talk of coalitions is politicians talking about how they’re going to win and sort things out for themselves, not for people out there.”
She told around 250 party faithful that Wales was where the party’s “fight back begins” after last year’s general election defeat, but that the recent local election results in England showed the party was “not yet out of the woods”.
A recent Senedd poll put the party fourth behind Plaid Cymru, Reform UK and Labour.
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But Mr Millar, the Conservatives’ leader in the Senedd, said the poll “motivates” him to “work harder”.
“Let me tell you something, a bad opinion poll does not discourage me,” he added.
“We are determined to fix Wales, inspire people, put hope in their hearts, and give them optimism for the future.”
Before her speech at the Conservative conference in North Wales, Kemi Badenoch paid a visit to the heritage railway in Llangollen.
In the glorious sunshine, she stood high up in the driver’s spot on the footplate of the steam locomotive. But the train was going nowhere.
Political metaphors aside, there was no denial from the UK Conservative leader that the party has a fight on its hands in Wales.
Her speech included criticism of Labour’s plans for a tourism tax in Wales, the 20mph zones, and Senedd expansion which will see the number of politicians rise from 60 to 96.
But there was a Freudian slip.
She referred to meeting MSPs, (Members of the Scottish Parliament) rather than MSs, members of the Senedd.
Does that demonstrate where her and the party’s mind is when it comes to Wales?
“No it doesn’t. What really matters is I’m here, again, because I’m demonstrating our commitment to Wales,” she said.
As she wrapped up, there was of course a standing ovation – but hardly an electric atmosphere.
Speaking to Sky News after his speech, Mr Millar said it had been “a difficult period for the Conservative Party across the United Kingdom”.
While he said he was “aiming to be the leader of the largest party”, he acknowledged the new, more proportional voting system would likely mean that “no one party will have an overall majority”.
“What I’ve said is, very straightforwardly, that it’s in the national interest to get rid of the Labour party in government in Wales,” he said.
“It’s in the national interest to secure some change and I am prepared to work with others in order to deliver an alternative government.”
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He said the voting system in the Senedd was “very different” to that of the UK parliament and in order for any party to be in government in Wales, they would have to “cooperate with other political parties”.
