Top Tory fails SIX times to name his party's leader in Wales in humiliating TV clash

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp was left floundering when GB News presenter Chris Hope asked him the simple question of who leads the Conservative party in Wales

Top Tory Chris Philp failed six times to name the leader of his party in Wales in an excruciating TV interview.

The Shadow Home Secretary was left floundering when GB News presenter Chris Hope asked him the simple question.

He dodged answering it multiple times before finally saying: "We've got a relatively new leader and I'm afraid the name escapes me".

Mr Hope told the top Tory: "He's called Darren Millar, and that does matter because the party is disappearing rapidly into the sand of a Welsh beach.

"When will you start governing for the whole country? You are going back into your heartlands of England. Wales is now lost to you it seems and next May's elections are going to be a disaster."

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Mr Philp replied: "No I don't think that's true at all, we are governing for the whole country. I've mentioned some of the plans we set out at our party conference and those are plans for the whole country, like saving money from welfare, cutting stamp duty, ending illegal immigration, recruiting more police officers."

Mr Millar became leader of the Welsh Conservatives in the Senedd last December after Andrew RT Davies resigned the post. Mr Davies had narrowly survived a vote of no confidence amid criticism over the direction of the party.

The Tories won just 2% of the vote in a by-election in Caerphilly last week, coming in fourth behind Plaid Cymru (47.4%), Reform (36%), Labour (11%).

It comes as Mr Philp flip flopped on whether Reform MP Sarah Pochin's complaints about "adverts full of black people, full of Asian people" were racist.

The Shadow Home Secretary initially told the BBC he would not use that language but added: "I’m not calling her racist, no, but I do think there are legitimate concerns the public have about mass migration that need to be addressed."

However he later told LBC the way Ms Pochin made her comments was "racist".

The Conservative MP for Croydon South said: "She should absolutely not have said that. It was completely wrong.

"She has apologised. I think the way she put it was racist, she shouldn't have said it and its right she's apologised."