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An internal party row has led to a situation where neither Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns nor Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies will represent the party in a BBC TV leaders debate, we can reveal.

Instead, the party will field its Shadow Education Secretary Darren Millar in one of the biggest events of the election campaign in Wales.

A spokesman for Andrew RT Davies said he was celebrating his wedding anniversary and it was "a bit of a surprise" that the Welsh Secretary wasn't doing the BBC Wales debate on Tuesday at 8.30pm.

A spokesman for Mr Cairns said there was "never any question" of him doing the debate as he is not the Welsh Tory leader - even though he did last week's ITV "Ask the Leader" event.

A well-placed Tory source told us: “Originally the invitation went from BBC Wales to Alun Cairns, but for some reason he did not want to do a debate with [Welsh Labour leader and First Minister] Carwyn Jones.

“In addition to the BBC debate, there were two TV programmes last week: an ITV Wales leaders’ debate and a BBC Wales Ask the Leader show.

“Andrew RT Davies would have been prepared to do all three programmes, but Alun Cairns wanted to do Ask the Leader, where he appeared on his own and didn’t debate with any other leaders. Essentially it was a Q&A with the audience.

“Andrew took the view that it would be better for one person to do all three programmes.

"The final show coincides with his wedding anniversary, and he’s gone for a short break abroad with his wife. Even so, he was prepared to fly back for the final programme and go back abroad, until Alun Cairns said he would do the Ask the Leader show. Flights both ways had even been booked for Andrew.”

With Mr Cairns unwilling to join the debate and Mr Davies no longer available, the party decided it would be represented by Mr Millar, the AM for Clwyd West.

Mr Cairns and Mr Jones both appeared on the Jeremy Vine Show on Radio 2, but the Tory source suggested that instead of a 15-minute debate, Mr Cairns insisted on appearing separately.

Two separate interviews lasting seven and a half minutes each were therefore broadcast.

Video: The highlights from Channel 4's Battle for Number 10 debate

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The Tory source pointed out that at the last general election debate in 2015, the Conservatives had been represented by then Welsh Secretary Stephen Crabb.

Prime Minister Theresa May has refused to join any leaders debates during the general election campaign.

She is also appearing separately to Jeremy Corbyn in election events on BBC One and Channel 4.

Also appearing in the BBC Wales debate, which will be live on BBC 1 Wales and the BBC News Channel between 8.30pm and 10pm today, will be Carwyn Jones, Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood, Welsh Liberal Democrat leader Mark Williams and Ukip Assembly group leader Neil Hamilton.

A spokesman for Mr Cairns, who is seeking re-election as MP for Vale of Glamorgan, said: “The fact is that Andrew RT Davies was invited to participate in the BBC leaders debate and pulled out. There was never any question of the Secretary of State appearing. He is not the leader.”

Asked why, therefore, Mr Cairns had appeared in last week’s Ask The Leader show, the spokesman said: “That was an entirely different programme, with an audience Q&A. The Secretary of State was always going to be appearing on it, not Andrew RT Davies.”

Mr Cairns’ spokesman said he understood that Mr Davies’ Assembly group deputy Paul Davies, the AM for Preseli Pembrokeshire, had also been unavailable for the debate, and that in those circumstances it was appropriate that Mr Millar, who was involved in writing the party manifesto, should represent the Welsh Conservatives.

A spokesman for Andrew RT Davies said: “With the Secretary of State unwilling to take part in the General Election debates, Andrew was more than happy to fill in – but that agreement was reached on the basis that it would be best for the party to put forward one candidate for all of the programmes.

“Given that Alun was willing to take part in the Ask the Leader programmes Andrew felt that it was no longer necessary to return from celebrating his wedding anniversary to do the debate.

"It’s a bit of a surprise that Alun isn’t taking part tonight, but our Policy Director Darren will do a brilliant job.”