James Evans | |
|---|---|
| Evans in 2021 | |
| Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care | |
| In office 12 December 2024 –20 January 2026 | |
| Leader | Darren Millar |
| Preceded by | Sam Rowlands |
| Shadow Minister for Rural Affairs | |
| In office 18 April 2024 –5 December 2024 | |
| Leader | Andrew RT Davies |
| Preceded by | Samuel Kurtz [a] |
| Succeeded by | Peter Fox |
| Shadow Minister for Mental Health,Wellbeing and Mid Wales | |
| In office 27 May 2021 –18 April 2024 | |
| Leader | Andrew RT Davies |
| Preceded by | David Melding [b] |
| Succeeded by | Gareth Davies (Mental Health) Paul Davies (Mid Wales) |
| Member of the Senedd for Brecon and Radnorshire | |
| Assumed office 7 May 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Kirsty Williams |
| Majority | 3,820 |
| Powys County Councillor for Gwernyfed ward | |
| In office 5 May 2017 –5 May 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Geraint Hopkins |
| Succeeded by | William Lloyd |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Brecon,Wales |
| Nationality | British |
| Party | Independent (Since 2026) |
| Other political affiliations | Welsh Conservative (Until 2026) |
| Occupation | Farmer |
James Evans is a Welsh politician and farmer,who has served as the Member of the Senedd (MS) for Brecon and Radnorshire since the 2021 Senedd election. He was a member of the Welsh Conservative Party and the was the Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care from December 2024 to January 2026. [1] He previously served as councillor for Gwernyfed ward on Powys County Council.
James Evans had been elected to Powys County Council in 2017, [2] representing the Gwernyfed ward,and was cabinet member for economic development,housing and regulatory services. In 2018 he was criticised for retaining this cabinet role while in New Zealand on a National Farmers' Union scholarship to study deer farming and venison production. [3]
At the 2021 Senedd elections,Evans contested the Brecon and Radnorshire constituency and was elected,becoming the first Conservative MS for this constituency. [4] [5] He maintained his role as a councillor until the 2022 Powys County Council elections,which he did not contest. [6] [7] Shortly after being elected in 2021,Evans was appointed as Shadow Minister for Mental Health. [8] Evans was moved to the Shadow Rural Affairs Ministry in April 2024. [9] In December 2024,after Darren Millar took control of the Welsh Conservatives,Evans was appointed Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care. In July 2025,his portfolio was expanded to include armed forces. [10]
In August 2025,Evans publicly supported Brecon's first esports team,the S.E.A. Dragons,ahead of their debut in the Welsh Esports League. [11]
Evans is a member of the Local Government and Housing Committee and the Wales COVID-19 Inquiry Special Purpose Committee. [12] He is a member of cross-party groups on armed forces and cadets,beer and pubs,horseracing,preventing child sexual abuse,rural growth,small shops,suicide prevention and tourism. [12]
In the 2026 Senedd election,he was selected to be a Conservative candidate in the Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd constituency. [13]
On 20 January 2026,Evans was expelled from the Conservative Party and was dismissed from his Shadow Cabinet role after it was alleged that he was planning to defect to Reform UK. [14] He subsequently sat as an independent. [15]
In 2023,Evans called for 'clear blue water' to be created between the Welsh Conservatives and the national Conservative Party,in reference to the clear red water approach taken by Welsh Labour. [16]
In October 2024,Evans was a co-submitter and sole Welsh Conservative MS to vote in favour of a motion tabled by Julie Morgan supporting the principle of assisted suicide. [17] [18] He stated he had entered politics because he had promised his grandmother that he would "never let anybody go through what she went through at the end of her life." [18]