Welsh Conservative leader Darren Millar has declared that his party is open to working with “anybody” to remove Labour from power in Cardiff. Speaking at the Welsh Conservative conference in Llangollen, he emphasized that Tory leaders won’t rule out Plaid and Reform deals, refusing to rule out post-election cooperation with either Reform UK or Plaid Cymru.
Kemi Badenoch, the UK Conservative leader, also avoided ruling out potential deals. While she previously dismissed working with Reform at the national level, she admitted such talks might become necessary in Wales. This makes it clear that ruling out deals with Plaid and Reform isn’t the current strategy.
Current projections suggest that no party is likely to win a clear majority in the next Senedd election. That makes coalition talks or informal agreements a likely feature of the post-election period, with Tory leaders not excluding Plaid and Reform arrangements.
Despite acknowledging the possibility of post-election talks, Badenoch tried to steer the conversation away from deals. “We’re not here to talk about deals,” she said. “We’re here to talk about what we are going to do to fix Wales.”
She added that any discussion about alliances was a distraction from the Conservatives’ mission to win seats and deliver for voters. Focusing on winning seats is her priority rather than considering Reform deals.
Deals with Plaid Cymru or Reform UK may cause internal friction. Plaid advocates for Welsh independence, a position that many Conservatives strongly oppose. Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage, has said it would work with any party to form a government in Wales. In this context, while the Tories won’t entirely dismiss Plaid and Reform deals, such cooperation could be contentious.
Badenoch criticized both parties in her conference speech. She accused them of playing “the politics of identity” and claimed they only thrive when Labour is in charge. “Reform is not the answer. Labour is not the answer. All these other parties are a flavour of the same thing,” she said.
The Tories lost all their Welsh MPs at the last general election and currently hold 16 seats in the Senedd. Tory leaders won’t rule out deals and describe the party as a “government in waiting” despite poor polling numbers. They are currently trailing behind Labour, Reform UK, and Plaid Cymru.
Badenoch acknowledged the devastating results of the previous election. However, she insisted the road to recovery begins in Wales. She called on members to fight back against the rise of Reform and Plaid and to focus on core Conservative values.
In a gaffe during her speech, Badenoch referred to meeting “MSPs,” which are Scottish Parliament members. Welsh politicians are known as MSs—Members of the Senedd.
As the Tory leaders won’t rule Plaid and Reform deals fully out, the Welsh political landscape continues to shift.
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