SOUTH Wales Central AM Andrew RT Davies has said he will remain an Assembly Member.

Mr Davies made the pledge in the wake of his selection as the Tory Rhoose candidate in the Vale council by-election, due on Thursday, February 14.

Rhoose Conservative, Cllr Matthew Lloyd resigned after the Vale council proposed closing Llancarfan Primary School and transferring pupils to a new school building in Rhoose.

Mr Davies, 50, a farmer and a lifelong resident of Llantrithyd, in the Rhoose area, said if he was elected he would continue to oppose the closure of Llancarfan School.

“This proposal first saw the light of day under Welsh Labour the closure proposal had first arisen,” he said. "I am strongly and bitterly opposed to plans to close Llancarfan Primary School – which would be hugely damaging to the village.

“As an Assembly member, I have consistently spoken out against these proposals and fully support the local action group in their campaign against them.

“To put it simply, I am standing because I want to do all I can to save the school.

"This is a subject that is very close to my heart.

"It is vital there is strong opposition to the closure plans within the council and I will provide the leadership that is necessary to fight those plans.”

Mr Davies also said he did not see that having more than one job would impact on his work effectiveness.

He said: “You do it because you want to serve the public and you have a passion for that,” and added that he did not know whether he was able to not take the councillor’s allowance but, if elected, said: “It’s my intention to use that allowance in the community.”

He vowed, as well as pushing for the Vale council to reverse its decision to close the school, he would strive for better facilities in the area, address anti-social behaviour, the state of the roads and transport links, better quality green spaces and better mobile coverage.

Mr Davies added: "We must make sure our area is not ignored and that our concerns are taken seriously.

"I will always put the people of Rhoose and the surrounding villages first on the Vale council.”

He previously worked alongside residents in the campaign to save Rhoose library from closure and he has also opposed the Biomass UK No.2 plant, incinerator, in Barry.

Mr Davies resigned as the Welsh Government Tory opposition leader in June 2018.