SWANSEA Tory councillor Rene Kinzett has said the Welsh party should become independent of the Conservatives in England.

He said the Welsh Conservatives would never challenge Labour in Wales without change. They should instead lead a new centre-right political movement wholly based in Wales.

His comments come after the Scottish Conservative Party approved a new constitution with its leader taking overall responsibility for performance.

Mr Kinzett said: "What I'm calling for is a sensible, thoughtful debate about how we reach out across Wales to create a new centre-right movement.

"How we create a party that is capable of making decisions in Wales for Welsh problems by the Welsh membership and accountable to the Welsh membership."

Mr Kinzett, group leader of the Conservatives on Swansea Council, admitted his view was not shared by all party members in Wales.

But he added: "We are a unionist party but we are a party of Wales."