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| Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns sent ex-Welsh Tory leader coup text | Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns sent ex-Welsh Tory leader coup text |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The text that accidentally tipped off Andrew RT Davies about an attempt to oust him as sent by Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns. | |
| Mr Davies revealed the text after his resignation as Tory assembly leader. | Mr Davies revealed the text after his resignation as Tory assembly leader. |
| Sources confirmed that Mr Cairns sent the message, which discussed how and when to remove Mr Davies as leader, last spring. | |
| The minister's spokesman said Mr Cairns had a productive working relationship with the former leader. | |
| The text was intended for other senior Welsh Conservatives in Westminster - and not for the South Wales Central AM. | |
| Shortly after stepping down, Mr Davies said he was copied into the text message by mistake fourteen months ago, but declined to say who sent it. | Shortly after stepping down, Mr Davies said he was copied into the text message by mistake fourteen months ago, but declined to say who sent it. |
| "I think the tone of the text said about 'keeping a lid on it' or 'removing him straight away' - and that was from the other end of the M4," he said at the time. | "I think the tone of the text said about 'keeping a lid on it' or 'removing him straight away' - and that was from the other end of the M4," he said at the time. |
| BBC Wales understands the message was sent following the defection of Mark Reckless from UKIP, last April. | BBC Wales understands the message was sent following the defection of Mark Reckless from UKIP, last April. |
| Tory MPs were angry that Mr Davies had welcomed Mr Reckless into the Tory group in Cardiff Bay, although he has not re-joined the party. | Tory MPs were angry that Mr Davies had welcomed Mr Reckless into the Tory group in Cardiff Bay, although he has not re-joined the party. |
| In a statement, a spokesman for Mr Cairns said: "Alun Cairns has a very productive working relationship with Mr Davies, in particular on local issues over many years. | In a statement, a spokesman for Mr Cairns said: "Alun Cairns has a very productive working relationship with Mr Davies, in particular on local issues over many years. |
| "Communication during election periods on topical issues take various forms and shouldn't be taken in isolation. | "Communication during election periods on topical issues take various forms and shouldn't be taken in isolation. |
| "Alun spoke with Andrew regularly, aside from any particular messages about Mark Reckless, to clear up any potential misunderstanding and the wider campaign. | "Alun spoke with Andrew regularly, aside from any particular messages about Mark Reckless, to clear up any potential misunderstanding and the wider campaign. |
| "As this was almost a year and a half ago and the matter has not been raised since, it was considered closed." | "As this was almost a year and a half ago and the matter has not been raised since, it was considered closed." |