Powys Senedd Member intends to stand down at next election after concerns about attacks

Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd Senedd Member James Evans intends to stand down at the next election, as he plans to put family first, amid concerns about attacks.

James told the Journal at the show on Monday that he has been aware of people trying to find out his address and with what has happened to Ann Widdecome, it is worrying and it makes you think.

He said he had reported the matters to the police but there appeared to be nothing they can do.

James, who will have completed two terms at the Senedd in 2030 and was a Powys County Councillor before that from 2017 until 2020, announced his intention at the Royal Welsh Show on Monday.

He said he and his wife Emma hope to start a family and he wants to make sure any children they have can grow up with as normal and private a family life as possible.

James, who won his second term at the Senedd at the elections in May, joined Reform UK shortly before polling day having previously stood for the Conservative Party.

His decision comes after the murder of Reform spokesperson and former Conservative Minister Ann Widdecombe, which has seen a man arrested.

In a statement he said: “Public service is an enormous privilege, and I will never take for granted the trust people have placed in me. But I have also always believed that politics should be part of your life, not necessarily your whole life.

“My wife Emma and I hope that, in the years ahead, we will be lucky enough to start a family of our own, and naturally that makes you think differently about the future and about the balance between public life and family life.

“Politics can place pressures on those closest to you, and I have always felt that family should come first. As I look ahead, I want to make sure that any children we may be fortunate enough to have can grow up with as normal and private a family life as possible.

“So, as things stand today, it is not my current intention to seek another term in the Senedd after this one.

“There is still a long way to go, a huge amount I want to achieve and a great deal of work still to be done! My focus remains firmly on representing my constituents, and doing everything I can to continue giving Rural Wales that voice it very much needs in Cardiff Bay!”