Anti-20mph online group rejects Welsh Tories in favour of Farage

Emily Price 

An anti-20mph social media group with thousands of members that once praised Welsh Conservative efforts to oppose the default speed limit in Wales has shifted its support to Reform UK.

The '20 IS NOT PLENTY' Facebook group was launched in July 2023 - two months before the 20mph default speed limit was rolled out on Welsh roads.

The policy proved highly controversial, leading to widespread public backlash and a record-breaking Senedd petition which garnered nearly half a million signatures.

The Facebook group became an online space for its 86,000 members to vent their frustrations about the speed restriction and keep up with news of Welsh Conservative efforts to oppose it.

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'Confusing'

It has also been used as a hub to organise demonstrations outside the Welsh Parliament - many of which have been attended by Tory Senedd Members.

The 20mph default speed limit was imposed by the former First Minister Mark Drakeford's government.

During the first year of its implementation former Welsh Tory leader Andrew RT Davies and former shadow transport minister Natasha Asghar were at the forefront of calls for the policy to be scrapped.

Despite data indicating that fewer people have been killed on Welsh roads since the new default speed limit was introduced, the Tories have branded it "confusing" and criticised the £32 million cost.

With new leader Darren Millar now at the helm of the group - the Welsh Conservatives say controversy around the speed limit still persists.

Although the Tories have vowed to revert 20mph roads back to a 30mph if they win the Senedd election - members of the largest anti-20mph group on Facebook appear to be putting their trust in Nigel Farage instead.

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'Last hope'

Natasha Asghar previously enjoyed great support from the '20 IS NOT PLENTY' group with posts describing her as "Wonder Woman" and Wales' "last hope".

Some members even called for the then shadow transport minister to be the next First Minister of Wales.

But in recent weeks, a clip of the now shadow cabinet secretary for education speaking in the Senedd about active travel has drawn criticism.

The video was originally posted by Asghar herself to her official social media accounts back in September 2024.

In it, the South Wales East MS called for an active travel route from Pontypool to Usk.

The clip then surfaced in the 20 IS NOT PLENTY online group in February with members suggesting that Asghar has "sold out" and that "a vote for the Conservatives is a vote for Labour".

Tory support in the group appeared to plummet further when leader Darren Millar missed a vote on the Welsh Government's draft budget after going to the United States for a prayer meeting alongside his colleague Russell George.

Some members of the anti-20mph group claimed it was proof the Welsh Conservative "don't care about Wales".

Poll

In the following weeks the page has become more and more saturated with pro-Reform posts and images of Nigel Farage.

Reform UK is expected to win far more seats than the Conservatives at the Welsh election with Plaid Cymru warning that the threat of Farage's party should not be underestimated.

Nation.Cymru infiltrated the '20 IS NOT PLENTY' Facebook group using a dummy account to pose as a disgruntled road user.

We then conducted a poll asking members: "Who would you trust more to scrap Wales' 20mph limit?"

900 members voted within 16 hours of the poll being live.

856 (over 95%) voted for Reform UK and only 44 (Less than 5%) said they would put their trust in the Welsh Conservatives to axe the speed restriction.

Although Reform has yet to announce its manifesto pledges ahead of the 2026 Senedd election, the party confirmed to Nation.Cymru that it is opposed to Wales' 20mph default speed limit and would commit to repealing the policy it the party came into power.

A Reform UK Wales spokesman said: "It’s clear that the Welsh Conservatives are now a lame duck opposition in Wales.

"They have failed Wales at every turn. It’s clear as day that a vote for the Welsh Conservatives next May is a wasted vote."

The Welsh Conservatives were invited to comment but did not respond.