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The Conservatives have been mocked for appointing a Sussex MP as shadow secretary of state for Wales.
The party has come under fire after Kemi Badenoch appointed Mims Davies, the MP for East Grinstead and Uckfield, 200 miles from Cardiff, as its Welsh affairs spokesman.
The Tories were wiped out in Wales in July’s general election, winning zero seats after gaining 14 under Boris Johnson five years earlier.
Welsh nationalist party Plaid Cymru’s Westminster leader Liz Saville Roberts stuck the boot in, asking: “Why have the Tories appointed the MP for East Grinstead and Uckfield as shadow secretary of state for Wales instead of one of their talented Welsh MPs?”
“…oh,” she added, sharing a graphic displaying a contrast between 2019’s result and July’s Welsh electoral map.
Ms Saville Roberts added: “I congratulate Mims Davies on her appointment as shadow secretary of state for Wales.
“As the MP for East Grinstead and Uckfield in Sussex, fair play to her for taking one for the team after the Tories failed to hold on to a single Welsh MP. It just goes to show that, after the general election, Plaid Cymru is the real Welsh opposition to Labour in Westminster.”
After her appointment, Ms Davies said she was “delighted” to be asked to take on the job, adding that her love for Wales is “enduring”.
She said on X: “Wales deserves so much better than these these 2 failing Labour governments – especially a better NHS, improved education, help for pensioners and actual support for hard working farmers.
“I loved my time studying, living and working in Wales & had the previous honour of serving in the Wales office.”
Ms Davies was Welsh minister between 2018 and 2019 and went to Swansea University.
Her appointment came as Ms Badenoch appointed a shadow cabinet that included MPs from all sides of the party in a bid to reunite the Conservatives after a fractious leadership campaign.
The newly-elected party leader unveiled her top team on Tuesday morning ahead of its first meeting.
The top jobs were split between One Nation moderates, Boris Johnson-backing right-wingers and those who backed Ms Badenoch’s leadership bid.
And, in appointing leadership rivals Mel Stride, Priti Patel and Robert Jenrick, she has made a clear effort to bring the divided party back together.
Announcing the team, Ms Badenoch said: “I am delighted to have appointed my shadow cabinet, which draws on the talents of people from across the Conservative Party, based on meritocracy and with a breadth of experience and perspective, just as I promised during the campaign.
“Our party’s problems will only be solved with a team effort, and I am confident my shadow cabinet ministers will deliver effective opposition as we seek to win back the trust of the public.
“We will now get to work holding Labour to account and rebuilding our party based on Conservative principles and values.
“The process of renewing our great party has now begun.”
