A Welsh minister has joked that the Conservative Party will be able to hold their first post-election conference in "the smallest house in the world" due to their dramatically reduced numbers. Ken Skates, the cabinet member for North Wales, made the quip during questions in the Senedd on Wednesday.
Skates suggested the Welsh Conservatives would fit "in the porchway" of The Smallest House after next May's Welsh parliament election. The tiny home sits on Conwy's seafront in north Wales and is believed to be the smallest house in the United Kingdom.
Tourist attraction becomes political punchline
Measuring just 72 inches wide, the house has not been lived in for some time but has become a popular tourist destination. The minister's comments followed a question about the impact of a proposed tourism levy on the north Wales economy from Gareth Davies, Conservative MS for the Vale of Clwyd.
The Visitor Levy Bill, currently going through the Senedd, will allow councils to charge up to £1.30 per person per night for staying in tourist accommodation. The money raised would go towards local infrastructure improvements.
Tories face electoral challenges
Skates's joke comes 10 months ahead of the next Senedd election, where recent polls have put the Conservatives in a predicted fourth place. The Westminster party was also wiped out in Wales in the general election last year, going from 14 seats to zero.
However, Labour is also expected to face a difficult battle in May's elections. Recent polling by Survation placed them at 27 per cent, with Reform and Plaid Cymru close behind on 24 per cent each, while previous YouGov polling had the incumbent party in third place.
Minister defends tourism levy
Skates told Davies he had visited Conwy following the Welsh Labour Conference, which was held in Llandudno last weekend. Addressing Davies directly, he said: "At the end of the conference, I thought I'd just spend a little more time in the area. I actually went over to Conwy as well, which is a fabulous place too."
"You'll be aware that it has the smallest house in the world on the seafront there," Skates continued. "I was told that your party is going to be holding your post-election conference in the porchway, in that particular tourist attraction next year."
Business discussions planned
Skates added that he would be discussing the visitor levy with the north Wales business council on Friday, calling the fee an "opportunity" which he insisted had been welcomed in other areas like Manchester. Davies said he "appreciates the sharpness and the wit of the Cabinet Secretary" but argued the levy could lead to fewer people staying in Wales, with many councils having already ruled out implementing it.
(PA) Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
