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Reform UK in Wales was shaken by an arrest, a defection and a leadership shake-up
In one week, the party went through the departure of its leader in Wales after he was arrested, the defection of a legislator to Plaid Cymru and the definition of a new leadership. According to BBC Mundo, Helen Jenner appears to be the leading candidate to take over.
Reform UK went through a week of deep political turmoil in Wales, with the resignation of its regional leader, the defection of a Senedd member to Plaid Cymru and the start of the process to appoint new leadership.
According to BBC Mundo, it all began last Sunday, when Dan Thomas, the party leader in Wales, was arrested on suspicion of assault and controlling or coercive behavior. He was later released on bail. In a public statement, Thomas said he had been “released without charge” and maintained that he had done nothing wrong.
According to BBC Mundo, confirmation of the arrest began circulating among journalists on Monday night and also reached party leaders in Wales then, while some figures in the national leadership in London, including Nigel Farage, had already been informed.
On Tuesday, amid rumors and internal confusion, Reform members in the Senedd were warned that difficult days were ahead. Thomas did not attend that meeting and it was later announced that he would not take his usual place at First Minister’s Questions in the Welsh parliament. At first, the party explained his absence on personal grounds, but Thomas later announced that he was stepping down from the leadership. He does, however, retain his seat for Casnewydd Islwyn.
That same day brought another blow for the party: Sarah Cooper-Lesadd, elected for Reform in Pen-y-bont Bro Morgannwg, switched to Plaid Cymru. BBC Mundo noted that Reform learned of the decision when BBC Wales asked for a party response to the news. Cooper-Lesadd said at a news conference that she made the decision after a period of reflection and deliberation, and said she had found her proper political home.
According to BBC Mundo, both the legislator and Plaid Cymru said the change had nothing to do with Thomas’s arrest. They also said discussions about her joining had been under way for some time, although they did not specify when they began. Approval within Plaid required a two-thirds majority and was not unanimous.
Cooper-Lesadd’s departure also reopened the debate over the Welsh electoral system. BBC Mundo cited Jess Blair, of the Electoral Reform Society, who argued that although defections are not new, this system has a wider accountability gap because voters choose parties rather than individuals.
By Wednesday, Reform’s priority was to appoint a replacement. BBC Mundo reported that James Evans was among the names under consideration, but he ultimately announced that he would not run, despite a majority of the party’s members in the Senedd backing his candidacy.
By Thursday, Helen Jenner was emerging as the strongest option to take the leadership. According to BBC Mundo, although Reform UK’s national leadership in London did not formally intervene in the process, sources indicated there were favorable signs toward Jenner, who is close to Farage from the UKIP years. Confirmation of her appointment was expected on Monday.
In that context, Llŷr Powell, the party’s discipline chief in the Senedd, said the situation had been difficult but that the group had managed to get through it and said the party now feels more united.
Sources
About this note. Written by El Notero with assistance from artificial intelligence, based on what was published by the cited outlet. El Notero did not conduct its own reporting on this event.
