Kemi Badenoch denies sacked Tory's claim party doesn't allow free speech

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has denied there is no room for free speech in her party, after claims made by a former senior Welsh Tory who was kicked out for speaking to Reform.

James Evans said it was "a sad day when the party does not allow free speech or criticism", after he had the whip removed from the Tories in the Senedd and was sacked as the party's shadow health secretary.

On a visit to the Senedd on Friday, Badenoch told BBC Wales that there was room for free speech in the Conservatives and she was "very happy to hear from people who have different views".

But she added that if Tories were "talking to other parties that are trying to harm us, then they should go elsewhere".

Two days before Evans was sacked by Tory Senedd leader Darren Millar, he had refused to answer whether he was going to defect to Reform in a BBC Wales interview in which he also criticised Badenoch.

Evans also told the Politics Wales programme that the Conservative Party "needs to change", and that "Kemi should reflect on" a comment she had made that "Britain isn't broken".

"I don't think that comment from Kemi is a right one," he said.

"Britain is broken... we have to be honest about some of the things we got wrong," said Evans, referring to the previous Conservative UK government.

"The party needs to change," he added.

After his removal on 20 January, Evans said in a statement he had "been concerned for some time over the direction of the Conservative Party at a UK level and I feel it no longer represents my conservative values and beliefs".

The now independent member for Brecon and Radnorshire MS said politics "should be a broad church of views and opinions, and it is a sad day when the party does not allow free speech or criticism".

Badenoch met Millar for her first visit to the Senedd, in Cardiff Bay, where she was asked about Evans' comments.

She said: "Of course there is room for free speech, I'm very happy to hear from people who have different views.

"Obviously I'm the leader, I want to see a stronger country, a stronger economy, stronger borders.

"But if people are spending time talking about how we can do deals with Reform and help other parties, or talking to Labour and wanting to do deals with Labour, then there is no place for them in the Conservative Party."

She said she backed Millar's expulsion of Evans, adding "I've had to do similar things myself".

Former home secretary Suella Braverman became the latest ex Tory to defect to Reform UK on Monday, becoming the third sitting MP to join Nigel Farage's party in less than two weeks.