Tories in Wales argue over who is Branch Manager.

The Tories in Wales are desperately trying to cobble together some  impression of unity after the debacle over who should have represented the party at a TV debate.

The BBC Wales Leaders' Debate programme featured leaders from each of the five main parties in Wales, with the exception of the Welsh Conservatives who submitted Darren  Millar, their policy director and health spokesman.


It was Theressa May  who launched The Welsh Conservatives launched their manifesto at Gressford'

Andrew R T Davies seems to be absent from the event though he dis contribute to a forward  with  Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns 

It was Mt Cairns who appeared on the BBC meet the leaders debate and II don't think I'm being biased in saying it didn't go well,

Mr Cairns told BBC Radio Wales that Mr Davies was "always down to do" the BBC  leaders debate, however but that Mr Davies "couldn't do it for personal reasons".

On why he did not step in to take part instead, the Welsh secretary pointed out that most of the other parties were being represented in the debate by assembly members.

"When there are AMs debating we think the best people responsible for that in order to respond to the debate will be an assembly member," he said.

Mr Cairns said he thought Mr Millar did an "exceptional job".

Asked if he backed Mr Davies as leader, he said: "Without a question."

So why did he do the ask the leaders  debate/

 a Welsh Conservative source suggested there could be a move against Andrew Davies after the 8 June election.

"A number of members are troubled by the leaders debate shambles and Andrew's boredom with the job," the source told BBC Wales.
"This will be sorted after the election."

In response, a spokesman for Andrew RT Davies said it was 

"very easy to hide behind a keyboard".

Mind you it has been largely the case as in England that the Tories have been pushing  their  candidates as "Theresa May " candidate rather than that of the Conservative Party itself.

However if the polls are to believed such hubris in trying yo turn this into a Presidential election has backfired  as the predictions for a Tory landslide  recedes and far from being Strong and Stable Mrs May looks weak and afraid t.

There's a slightly different in Scotland where there is no problem who is the leader there.


However after an initial promising start in Which Ruth Davidson appeared to be the flame bearer of the Union her own image has fallen.

As Wings over Scotland points out 

The spectacular 26-point decline in Davidson’s popularity since Ipsos last asked eight months ago is probably much more sudden than that, as after years of unquestioning adoration in the Scottish media she’s been made very uncomfortable in recent weeks over the rape clause, a string of revelations about bigoted and racist candidates, a mess of completely incoherent and contradictory policies, and an increasingly open contempt for the entire concept of democracy in Scotland.

The exposure that by STV news that  Unionist parties are working together by fielding "paper candidates" in some key SNP constituencies they are looking to win at the general election, may  therefore have another backlash.

The move is aimed at ensuring the anti-SNP vote is not split in marginal seats, which could see the Nationalist candidate win in those areas.

According to the report.

Scottish Labour, the Scottish Conservatives and the Scottish Liberal Democrats are fielding contenders in all 59 seats but some will be "paper candidates" - they will appear on the ballot paper but will not be actively campaigning.TV News understands all three parties are deploying the tactic in target areas including Edinburgh South, Edinburgh West, Perth and North Perthshire, East Lothian and Moray.

 All bar one of these seats, Edinburgh South, was won by the SNP in 2015's general election when they took 56 of Scotland's 59 constituencies.

 A senior Conservative source said it was "not a formal arrangement" between the parties but the "reality of the situation" on the ground was they were, in effect, helping each other in certain seats.

Scotland  has fast become a battle ground between left leaning Nationalists and right leaning Unionist , it seems that Labour have accepted a subordinate  role  to the  Tories.

Here in Wales there is no need for a Unionist Alliance , but even if there was.I doubt if it would be led by the Tories who even now can't decide on who the Branch manager is.