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First Minister calls on Reform Senedd candidate to explain what he knows about Gill bribes
Emily Price
The First Minister of Wales has called for Reform's Caerphilly by-election candidate to confirm whether he had any knowledge that his former employer Nathan Gill had taken bribes from Russia.
Last week, Gill pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey to making several pro-Russian statements in the European Parliament in return for cash between December 6 2018 and July 18 2019.
The activities of Reform's former leader in Wales were said to include making pro-Russian statements about events in Ukraine in the European Parliament and in opinion pieces to news outlets, such as 112 Ukraine.
Gill's trial had been due to go ahead in May 2026, shortly after Wales' election where the party he led could win the highest number of Senedd Members.
By pleading guilty, he has avoided the need for a trial which could have seen more detailed evidence emerge.
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Adviser
News of the former leader's guilty plea came as Reform UK looks to secure a win in the October Caerphilly by-election following the sudden death of Labour Senedd Member Hefin David.
Reform's candidate - Llyr Powell - was at one time employed as an adviser to Nathan Gill, although the party has argued that this was prior to any criminality taking place.
In the Senedd on Tuesday (September) during a rare moment of unity between Labour and the Welsh Conservatives, Tory leader Darren Millar called on Baroness Eluned Morgan to join him in condemning Reform as a "clear and present danger" to Wales' and the wider UK's national security.
Mr Millar said: "The former member of this Welsh Parliament, Nathan Gill, admitted to taking bribes to make pro Russian statements in the European Parliament.
"The current Reform leader in Wales - who of course doesn’t live in Wales - Nigel Farage has also disgustingly cosied up to the Russians in the past.
"He has spoken openly of his admiration for Vladimir Putin and even pushed the Russian propaganda lie that the west provoked the illegal Russian invasion of Ukraine."
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'Corruption'
Baroness Morgan agreed that there was a "real possiblity of corruption and chaos" as evidenced by the criminal behaviour of the former leader of Reform in Wales.
She said: "I think we have all be appalled by the acts of the former leader of Reform in Wales and a person who was a member of this Chamber - one of seven members elected to the party led by Nigel Farage.
"By the end of the term, six of them had left.
"I think it is important that people recognise that the Brexit Party, again previously led my Nigel Farage, voted against measures to counter Russian misinformation.
The First Minister added: "This is really serious stuff and I do think that there are questions to be answered by people.
"Not least Reform's candidate in the Caerphilly by-election Llyr Powell who was employed as an advisor to Gill.
"I think we need to know what did he know? When did he know it? And did he report it?"
Reform UK was invited to comment but did not respond.
Nation.Cymru also enquired about Llyr's Powell's connection with Nathan Gill at the weekend but we have still not received a reply.
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