Clwyd West MS Darren Millar has said it is the “honour of a lifetime” to have been elected unopposed as the Leader of the Welsh Conservative Group in the Senedd, and vowed his continued commitment to the residents and businesses of Clwyd West.
Darren received unanimous support from his Conservative colleagues in the Welsh Parliament on Thursday after former Leader Andrew RT Davies stood down from the position.
Darren was first elected to the Senedd in 2007 and has been the Chief Whip for the Conservatives since 2021.
Over the past 17 years, Darren has held various Shadow Ministerial portfolios in the Welsh Parliament including Health, Education, Local Government and International Affairs. Immediately prior to his election as Leader, he was the Welsh Conservative Chief Whip and Shadow Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution and North Wales.
In addition he has also served as the Chair of the Senedd’s influential Public Accounts Committee.
In 2000/2001, Darren became the youngest serving Mayor in Wales, a record which he understands is as yet unbroken, when he served the township of Towyn and Kinmel Bay. He has also served as a member of Conwy County Borough Council, the North Wales Police Authority and the North Wales Fire and Rescue Service.
Brought up in Towyn, he now lives in Kinmel Bay with his wife and their two grown up children.
Commenting after taking up his new role, he said:
“It is the honour of a lifetime to have been elected as the Leader of the Welsh Conservative Group in the Senedd
"I am humbled by the incredible support of my colleagues in the Senedd, and the kind messages I have received from Conservative Party members and members of the public across the country.
"Andrew RT Davies will be a difficult act to follow but I am determined to build on his legacy as we take the fight to our political opponents in the run up to the Senedd elections in 2026.
"After 25 years of Labour failure, Wales is crying out for hope and change; I look forward to setting out our plans to deliver just that in the weeks and months to come.
"Under Labour, Wales is broken, we are going to develop a distinctly conservative plan to fix it."
He added:
“I have loved serving the people of Clwyd West in the Senedd for the past 17 years, and I want to reassure them all that my new position will not detract from my commitment to them and the area.
“While I will be leading the Welsh Conservative team in the Senedd, I will be continuing to champion the issues that matters to my constituents, just as I have always done."
