Reform UK’s only Welsh Senedd member said she would welcome ousted Conservative James Evans to her party, telling a TV panel he would be a ”great asset”.

South Wales East MS Laura Anne Jones told ITV Wales’ Sharp End the former Shadow Health Secretary “is a fantastic MS”, who “says many of the right things”.

Mr Evans, Brecon and Radnorshire MS, was expelled from the Welsh Conservatives on Tuesday morning after holding discussions with Reform UK, allegedly about defecting.

Welsh Conservative Leader Darren Millar said Mr Evans was '”unable to commit 100%” to his party, which saw defections to Reform from former Westminster ministers Robert Jenrick and Nadhim Zahawi just days earlier.

Ms Jones, who defected to Reform last summer in the midst of a Senedd probe into expenses claims and the use of a racial slur, said on the Tuesday night politics show: "I’ve not been privy to conversations, but James is a fantastic MS. I think that he would be a great asset to our party.

"He says many of the right things, but we talk to an awful lot of people from all different parties. We’re a mixed bag in that regard.

"But we won’t just take anybody; we have a vetting process, a very strong one. People have to share the same values as us, and be absolutely dead set on our mission to get Wales and Britain back on its feet."

South Wales West Conservative MS Tom Giffard responded by saying it was “a good thing that people who don’t want to be Conservatives” wouldn't be appearing on the ballot paper in May’s Senedd election.

"People know when they vote Welsh Conservatives at that Senedd election, that they are voting for true authentic Conservatives that believe in that low tax agenda that we believe in.

"We know Reform doesn't believe in any of that, so if he [James Evans] has had that road to Damascus and changed everything he’s ever thought over the last four years, then Reform are very welcome to him."

Darren Millar, announcing his ousting from the Tory group on Tuesday, said: “This morning, I took the decision to remove James Evans from the Welsh Conservative Shadow Cabinet and withdraw the Conservative whip.

“I did so after being informed by James that he was continuing to engage with Reform representatives about the possibility of defecting to the party, in spite of his personal assurances on Friday that he had rejected an approach they initiated last week.

“Understandably, I expect all Welsh Conservative Senedd members and candidates to be 100% committed to our party and our plan to fix Wales. Regrettably, James was unable to give me that commitment.”

Mr Evans, who will sit as an Independent MS while he considers his political future, said: “I have 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.

“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.

“I respect my Welsh Conservative colleagues, particularly Darren Millar MS as Leader and Paul Davies MS, but I feel the UK Conservative Party no longer represents my views and values.

“My focus remains 100% on representing the people of Brecon & Radnorshire to the very best of my ability. I will take some time in the coming weeks to consider my political future.”