Darren Millar Assumes Leadership of Welsh Conservatives in Senedd

Darren Millar has been appointed as the new leader of the Welsh Conservatives in the Senedd, succeeding Andrew RT Davies. His election occurred without opposition. The 48-year-old politician, who previously served as chief whip under Davies, responsible for party discipline, has maintained a significant presence in Welsh politics for an extended period. He is considered by some to be the most senior Welsh Conservative currently holding office, apart from his predecessor. For years, his appearances in broadcast and media have prompted observers to consider him a potential leader, but he has only now pursued the leadership position. First elected to the National Assembly, as it was then known, in 2007, the Member of the Senedd (MS) for Clwyd West is currently in his fourth term. According to his website, Millar worked as a manager for an international charity dedicated to supporting persecuted Christians prior to entering politics in Cardiff Bay. He also held a position as an accountant, with experience in the construction, care home, and telecommunications sectors. Raised in Towyn, Conwy, he is married and has two adult children, residing currently in Kinmel Bay. In his political career, Millar made strong contributions regarding the Welsh NHS within the Senedd chamber during his tenure as the party’s health spokesman, focusing notably on issues affecting north Wales’ Betsi Cadwaladr health board. For an extended period, he was also a vocal opponent of a Labour decision to provide free NHS prescriptions for everyone, a policy that was fully implemented in 2007. The Conservative party ceased its opposition to this policy fourteen years subsequent to its introduction. Millar was also widely considered to have been a strong and effective former chairman of the Public Accounts Committee. He serves as president and chair of the Evan Roberts Institute, a Christian charity that has previously drawn controversy due to financial connections with the church of Pastor Yang Tuck Yoong. Pastor Yoong was reported to police in 2013 for his remarks on homosexuality, which he described as a “sin” and an “abomination”. The controversy resurfaced in the summer of this year when Millar unsuccessfully contested the Clwyd North seat in the general election. At that time, Millar stated that he does not support the pastor’s views and affirmed that “no one should be discriminated against on the basis of their sexual orientation or religious beliefs”. The MS experienced a setback in late 2020, when he temporarily stepped down from his front-bench role after he, along with three other Senedd members, was observed consuming alcohol on Welsh Parliament premises during a pandemic-related ban on pub alcohol. Paul Davies, who was then the Conservative group leader, also resigned at that time, leading to Andrew RT Davies’s return for his second period as group leader. Millar resumed his position as chief whip following the May 2021 Senedd election, and the four politicians involved were exonerated of breaching the code of conduct for MSs. In the summer of 2012, he garnered media attention for attempting to introduce legislation that would impose a 5p levy on chewing gum, intended to help fund the cleanup costs of discarded gum. The proposed measure was rejected in the Senedd chamber during the subsequent autumn. Millar also identifies himself as a world-record holder, having discovered the tallest hawksbeard plant with his son in Kinmel Bay. Initially, they believed they had found the tallest dandelion. Since 2016, Millar has also taken pride in serving as the Senedd’s “species champion” for red squirrels, consistently highlighting the threats faced by these endangered rodents and the imperative to protect them. Millar, now at the helm of the Conservative group in Cardiff Bay, joins Welsh Labour leader and First Minister Eluned Morgan, along with Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth, in having been elected unopposed, without a vote from the party membership. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content of external websites. Information regarding their approach to external linking is available.