James Evans has strongly denied claims he considered defecting to Reform UK, branding the allegations “gutter politics” and accusing his political opponents of playing games instead of focusing on voters’ concerns.

Mr Evans, who is MS for Brecon and Radnorshire and the Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care was responding to comments from the Welsh Liberal Democrats which urged him to “come clean” following a report by Nation.Cymru.

The report quoted a senior Reform UK source claiming Mr Evans held talks about switching parties during a farmers’ protest in Westminster last November - a claim Mr Evans has firmly denied.

In a statement released today, Welsh Liberal Democrat MP for Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe, David Chadwick, said: “With voters deserting the Conservatives in droves, the public has a right to know where James Evans stands.

“The latest accusations that he considered defecting to Reform UK six months ago are just one part of a long history he has had in flip-flopping on policy positions and the direction of his own party.

“Nigel Farage has extreme views when it comes to issues like moving towards a private healthcare system, if James Evans considered joining them, it is all the more worrying, he is the Welsh Conservatives' Health Spokesperson.

“Across the country, former centre ground Conservative voters continue to join the Liberal Democrats as the Conservatives lurch right and fade into irrelevance, as shown by last week’s local elections across England.”

The Liberal Democrats also pointed to Mr Evans’ previous support for Liz Truss and a photograph of him alongside Nigel Farage as evidence of political ambiguity.

Mr Evans has previously denied the claims made in Nation.Cymru, stating he has “always been fully committed” to the Conservative Party. In a new statement, he hit back at Mr Chadwick and the Liberal Democrats in forthright terms.

“Political silly season has arrived, and right on cue, we’ve got the usual gutter politics from the Lib Dems,” he said.

“Perhaps David Chadwick should spend a bit less time obsessing over me, and a bit more time doing the job he was elected to do. I am, and always have been, fully committed to the Conservative Party. That’s true now, and it will be true in the future.

“If this is the biggest issue on his radar, then frankly, he’s not taking his responsibilities seriously. While I’ve been focused on standing up for my home and fixing our broken NHS, ‘dropped-in David Chadwick’ has been trawling Twitter for gossip.

“And as for claims about ‘flip-flopping’ - that’s a bit rich coming from an MP and a political party that’s been sat on the fence so long they’re stuck on the barbed wire.

“Let’s not forget, Jane Dodds used to be in the Labour Party and sold her soul to keep Welsh Labour in power. I’ve never flip-flopped on policy. Maybe David Chadwick should do his homework instead of chasing cheap headlines.

“Unlike David Chadwick, who was parachuted into Welsh politics, I live here, I serve here, and I care deeply about this place. I’m someone who’s local, active in the community, and who has close friends and family in the area.

“I know how disillusioned people are with politics - I hear it every single day - and that’s exactly why I’m getting on with the job of delivering real change.

“What Wales needs right now is serious leadership, not cheap, grubby attacks from a Lib Dem more interested in headlines than helping anyone. If David Chadwick finds all this too much, maybe he really would be more comfortable back in Gloucestershire.”

Mr Evans criticised Reform UK recently during an appearance on the For Wales, See Wales podcast, where he described the party’s rhetoric as “dangerous” and said a Reform-led Welsh Government would “fall apart on day one.”