A FORMER county councillor who heckled then-prime minister Theresa May at the Welsh Conservative spring conference earlier this year has been allowed to stay in the party.
This came just two days after local elections in England saw the Conservative haemorrhage seats.
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As the prime minister took to the podium, Mr Davies rose to his feet and shouted that she should resign.
Theresa May (left) is heckled at the Welsh Conservative conference by Stuart Davies (right). Both pictures: Aaron Chown/PA Wire
He was ejected from the meeting and internal disciplinary proceedings were started against him.
The next day, Mr Davies attended a party function where he was pictured with Boris Johnson.
Mr Davies had been a campaign volunteer on Mr Johnson’s 1997 general election campaign for the Clwyd South seat.
The former councillor has now been told that there will be no punishment for his actions.
A panel of party members dismissed the complaint against Mr Davies, finding that: “Membership of the Conservative Party does not override an individual’s right to freedom of expression or peaceful demonstration.
“Whilst the right to freedom of expression is not unlimited, members of the party should not be precluded from expressing a particular viewpoint even if that viewpoint causes a degree of irritation or annoyance.”
Following the news, Mr Davies said: “I am obviously pleased that this has been the outcome.
“I’ve done so much for the party and I was involved in the campaign to get Boris Johnson elected as our MP in Clwyd South.
“I was only saying what a lot of members had been saying anyway.
“It’s good that the party has seen sense and will allow freedom of speech. It’s an important ideal and one I am willing to sacrifice for.”
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