Tory leader defended after Trump trip criticism

It is "unfair" to criticise the Tory Senedd leader for missing a vote on the Welsh government's draft budget after going to the United States for a prayer meeting, one his Cardiff Bay colleagues has said.

Darren Millar and Montgomeryshire MS Russell George are attending the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, where President Donald Trump is expected to give a speech.

The pair missed the first opportunity to vote on Labour ministers' spending plans for next year.

Millar's Senedd Conservative colleague Natasha Asghar said he is a "very religious person" and it is "unfair" to use the US trip "as a political football".

Labour won the vote on Tuesday, assisted by the abstention of Welsh Liberal Democrat Jane Dodds, as well as the absence of the two senior Conservatives.

The governing party has half the seats in the Senedd and cannot win if the opposition is united in voting against it.

Before the news emerged that Millar and George would not be not present the vote had looked difficult for the government, as it was not clear what Dodds would do until late on Tuesday.

The vote was largely symbolic ahead of a final budget vote in March, but losing on Tuesday would have embarrassed the government.

No member of the Conservative group in the Senedd would give an interview to BBC Wales on the pair's absence.

However, speaking on ITV's Sharp End on Tuesday night, shadow education minister Natasha Asghar defended Mr Millar's trip to the US.

"He is a very religious person. He always has been, and from my understanding, the commitment he's gone to has been linked his faith," she said.

"Now I can't condemn somebody for being religious, I never, ever will. I would never expect anyone to, but I do know that it's a genuine reason why he's there."

The Welsh Conservative South Wales East MS added: "The way it has been played as a political football today I think is very unfair, particularly when someone has gone for religious reasons.

"It should not be something that's used as a political football as it has been today, which is a real shame."

The National Prayer Meeting on 6 February is an important date in the US political calendar and the first since Trump's inauguration.

Both Tories are trustees of a Christian charity, the Evans Roberts Institute.

Last year, the institute funded Rhys ab Owen to go to the same American event, while he was under investigation for his conduct.

Newport Conservative councillor David Fouweather told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast on Wednesday he was unhappy with the US trip taken by Millar and George.

"President Trump isn't here in Wales with this disastrous Labour budget."

"Darren needs to be here. When you take on the role and responsibility of leader, then you have get your priorities right.

"His priorities are here in Wales, leading the Conservatives, hoping to be the next first minister.

"If you are leader of the opposition, you need to be there making your points".

He added: "It wasn't long ago, last July, that he was aiming to be a member of [the UK] parliament, so there wasn't a commitment then to the Senedd".

"He should have been there."

However, the Conservative Senedd leader was backed by former north Wales Tory MP Robin Millar.

"I think Darren made the right decision actually. Power and proximity to power is everything and right now Donald Trump is making the news around the world and it's absolutely right," he told the programme.

By Gareth Lewis, BBC Wales political editor

After a day of taking stock - and criticism - some Conservatives are now coming out in support of Darren Millar.

Two defences of the Trump trip are emerging.

One, that Millar is a devout Christian and his religious beliefs should not be made political.

Two, that the budget vote was non-binding so not consequential.

The second argument is not consistent with the Conservative stance on the non-binding vote of confidence they called last year in former first minister Vaughan Gething.

He lost it and the Tories called for him to go.

Not all Tories have leapt to Millar's defence with worries at grassroots level, no doubt with an eye on next year's Senedd election.