The Welsh Conservatives should have more autonomy from the national party to avoid being seen as an "English" party, the Tory leader in the Welsh assembly has said.

Addressing his party's Welsh AGM in Llandrindod Wells on Saturday, Nick Bourne argues that while the Conservatives are in a position to recapture a number of marginal Welsh constituencies at the next election, the emphasis in campaigning at the last election was "misplaced", with the result that "we were seen by some as an 'English' party".

"We allowed ourselves to be left open to the charge of having policies only for the south-east of England, and only caring about tax, Europe and asylum. This is clearly not the case, since we had many excellent policies on health and education. However these did not come across to the public and there are lessons to be learnt from this," Bourne says.

Stressing that he did not support any breakaway from the main party, Bourne argues there is a need for the Welsh Conservatives to have more autonomy on campaigning and in choosing more Welsh candidates for target seats.

"There is a need for re-thinking within the party, since the political axis has changed in the last 10 years. Whilst we did a lot to be proud of in the 1980s, we must be seen to be looking forward and not back," Bourne says, who notes that the party has always been able to change with the times while maintaining core values.

Bourne also issues a warning to Labour that the public has little enthusiasm for the Blair government.

"It is with this in mind that we must find a way of re-engaging with the public, and offer a strong opposition to what will almost certainly prove to be a second arrogant Labour government," he says.