Welsh Conservative Senedd members will vote next Tuesday on whether they have confidence in their leader Andrew RT Davies, BBC Wales has been told.
It is understood that Davies called the vote after a meeting of some of his Senedd members on Thursday where concerns about his leadership were raised.
He has faced public and private criticism from some of his MSs over the past six months partly because of a number of his posts on social media.
Davies was criticised by a Muslim group in a row over the availability on non-halal meat in schools and drew rebukes from members of his own party for a post at a summer fayre questioning the future of the Senedd.
It has been known for a few months that some Senedd Conservative politicians are unhappy with Davies’ leadership.
However, Tory sources have suggested that this group is in a minority.
It is not known how many were at the meeting on Thursday afternoon.
BBC Wales understands that two Tory Senedd members pulled out of broadcast commitments on Thursday.
Davies, who is a Member of the Senedd (MS) for South Wales Central, has been leader of the Welsh Conservatives in the Senedd for most of the last 13 years.
He was first elected in 2011. After he quit in 2018, he returned unopposed in 2021 after Paul Davies stood down.
Davies has been under pressure since the summer over concerns raised internally over his social media account on X.
A Muslim group accused Davies of “Islamophobic race-baiting” after he wrote about allegations that non-halal meat was not available at a school in the Vale of Glamorgan.
The school had said that was incorrect. Tory MS for South Wales East Natasha Asghar told the BBC she had raised concerns with the leader over the issue.
Davies also triggered a row over devolution when he told X he had asked people at an agricultural show if they thought the Senedd should be abolished or not.
Davies said he was just asking people’s views, but his predecessor Lord Bourne warned the party against going down a “blind alley”.
There have also been concerns in the party over his handling of the conduct of Tory MS Laura Anne Jones.
Jones apologised after it emerged she had used a racist slur in a WhatsApp chat. She is also subject to a police probe over her expenses – allegations that she denies.
Jones has not been suspended as a Conservative MS, but has been removed from the front bench as a spokeswoman.
In October Davies was judged to have brought the Welsh Parliament into disrepute by calling Wales’ 20mph speed limit a “blanket” policy on social media.
Andrew RT Davies had insisted that his choice of words was “a matter of opinion”.
