The gaffe-ridden leader of the Welsh Conservatives resigned following a no-confidence vote.
Andrew RT Davies said he stood down with regret, and admitted that “as few people” in his party did not support him his position was “untenable”.
In his resignation letter, he criticized his critics, praising Tory members who helped the party “not for money or for personal gain, but because they believe passionately in the values of conservation and the United Kingdom as our country. . This is very different from other members of the Conservative Senedd.” He then blasted the “muesli and croissant brigade” within the group.
He added that in recent months “it has become very difficult” to take the political path he wanted “due to opposition from some members within the Senedd Group”.
Davies spoke of ‘disagreement’ within the Conservatives in the Welsh parliament in his resignation letter (PA)
He added: “In many cases, it was not possible to clarify the message, with words that openly contradicted other members. This caused the public to not really understand what the Conservative Party in Wales stands for.
“Last week, a group of Senedd members came to me, threatening to resign [from] their seats in the shadow cabinet if I do not agree to resign as president. I have therefore asked that a motion of confidence in my leadership be made at the meeting this morning.
“This vote is now available. It was clear from the results that a minority of the group does not support our approach, even though it is the most feasible approach. While I would have been honored to continue as president, my position is untenable. “
He then said that his leader’s shop offered a “full Welsh fry up with extra black pudding. My opponents wanted more muesli and croissant. Obviously, muesli and croissant were few and far between, they were always running to the press, publishing stories, and it didn’t help the united party.
The politician with the gaffe once claimed he was “19 stone the first Welsh beef”.
He was also ridiculed after saying at the 2016 Conservative Party conference that “dinner”, not Brexit, would be “success”.
In 2014, they were accused of disrupting their opposition to wind farms after a proposal to build a 99.5 meter wind farm on their land was submitted.
Former Welsh first minister Carwyn Jones once accused him of being the “Homer Simpson of Welsh politics”, saying he kept putting his foot in his mouth.
Last month he was charged with “contempt” of official censure in the Senedd after he was “reprimanded” for breaking rules on social media posts. In one he said Wales has a “blanket” 20mph speed limit, although there are exceptions to the rule and it only applies to built-up areas.
Lee Waters, a Labor member, criticized Mr Davies for not going to court to respond to the reprimand, accusing him of “dismissing” complaints.
Mr Davies is said to have won the confidence vote – with seven voting against his leader and nine supporting him to remain in office.
But his victory did not make him stay at work. He will step down as leader of the Welsh Conservative Group in the Senedd once a successor is appointed.