‘A privilege’: Andrew RT Davies steps down as Welsh Tory Leader - video Dailymotion

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2 years ago

Andrew RT Davies has been the head of the Welsh conservatives for what feels like an age, the better part of 13 years, and has questioned every first minster in that period. He technically won a confidence vote on Tuesday morning, but by such a slim margin, he decided his position was untenable, so went out and indulged himself with some thoughts on his opposition and said it had been an honour to lead his party and add so much to Welsh democracy.

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00:00I've had three First Ministers the privilege to ask FMQs to.

00:05The first one, Carwyn Jones, I always knew when he was coming, both guns blazing, because

00:09he'd pull his cuffs, he would then, and just as I was asking the question, the cuffs would

00:13get adjusted, and I thought, here it was coming.

00:16Mark Drakeford would always flip the paper round and play with the top of the paper,

00:20and I knew it was coming for me at that point.

00:23I haven't quite had enough time to work out the telltale signs for when you're coming

00:28for me, but it has been a huge privilege to stand here and question the whole front

00:33bench, but, in particular, the First Ministers.

00:35And I'd like to start by paying tribute to you and for the service you've given in this

00:41Chamber over a long period of time as the leader.

00:45I know that you have passionately held beliefs and you've argued your cause here in the Senedd.

00:51We've always had political differences, but I've always appreciated the way that you've

00:56read the room, in particular on those big occasions.

00:58So I'd like to thank you for the way that you've conducted yourself on the whole with

01:05me in the Senedd.

01:08On Tuesday morning, he did technically win a confidence vote with his Senedd members,

01:12but by such a slim margin, he decided his position was untenable.

01:16So went out and indulged himself with some thoughts on his opposition, and said it had

01:21been an honour to lead his party and add so much to Welsh democracy.

01:26Because that is a privilege that, hopefully, the country benefits from, by all politicians

01:31shining that light on Government and, ultimately, being in Government if you're successful at

01:36elections.

01:37Regrettably, I was not successful at elections and I never made the Government bench, but

01:41I have found it a huge privilege to stand here as leader of the opposition and fulfil

01:47in some small way, make a difference to Welsh democracy and build a stronger Welsh democracy

01:55that we have today than when I took over in 2011.

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