News
Leader of 'politically neutral' 20mph Senedd lobby group intends to stand for Reform UK
Emily Price
The leader of a "politically neutral" anti-20mph lobby group has announced her ambitions to stand for Reform UK at the Senedd election next year.
Annette Jones launched the 'United Voices Senedd Lobby Group' in 2023 to monitor and protest against Wales' default 20mph speed limit legislation.
The controversial policy saw most roads that were 30mph in Wales switch to 20mph.
It triggered almost half a million people to sign a Senedd petition calling for the road regulation to be rescinded.
Official statists later revealed that the new speed limit had saved lives with deaths and injuries down on roads across Wales.
Jones branded the collision data "misleading and imprecise" and claimed that deaths on roads had "increased" since the implementation of the new default speed limit.
'Confession'
Jones has always maintained that the United Voices group she founded is not politically biased.
However, last week she told members of her group's Facebook page that she had a "confession" to make.
In an online post, Jones wrote: "Confession time. I've decided to put myself forward for consideration to becoming a member of the Senedd for Reform.
"This, I appreciate is against the attempts I've made of the past two plus years to keep the group politically neutral.
"So... as I see it, we have decisions to make, or, rather you as members have decision to make.
"As you're all aware, my intention was to close the group next May, after the Senedd elections anyway.
"What do you want me to do between here and there?
"1) I can remain. 2) I can hand over to our wonderful ladies and step aside (just don't tell them, as they've not agreed to this).
"3) Or we can close the group now."
Support
Members of the online group expressed support for Jones' political ambitions with many encouraging her to remain as leader despite her bid to be elected.
She told members that despite her support for Reform UK - the Senedd lobby group would remain "politically neutral".
In a post published to Facebook, Jones wrote: "United Voices is not about to be turned into a Reform page!
"For as long as I am here it will continue to represent the views of all."
However, Jones later called on members of her group to "step up and get involved" in Reform's campaigning.
In a Facebook post, she wrote: "Right folks. It would appear l've gone as far as I can with sending the truth out. I'm blocked all over the place.
"So it's your turn. Please step up and get involved. Use facts that can be substantiated.
"Try not to get involved in slanging matches (yes I know, that's a good one coming from me).
"But let's add some more balance to the propaganda that's being spouted by the various parties and their followers out there.
"Keep up the pressure. Keep opening people eyes. Keep sharing information. Keep signposting. Keep using your voice."
'Intense'
Jones told the group that she wanted to stand under Nigel Farage's banner because she thought Reform were the only party "likely to come anywhere close to getting Plaid and Labour, in whatever combination, out of the Senedd."
Discussing Reform UK's selection process, she told the Facebook group: "Understandably, the process is quite intense and so it should be.
"They cannot afford to let any old person in, because they are under unprecedented scrutiny."
United Voices Facebook page was hidden from public view on October 10.
A member of the group told Nation.Cymru that this was because the Facebook pages' privacy settings were updated to private mode meaning it cannot be searched online by the public.
In a Facebook post shown to Nation.Cymru, Jones told members: "Already I'm having my social media history picked over.
"Just stop a second and think about how you would feel if it were you having people pick through groups and posts that you've been part of for decades and looking at decisions you've made etc.
"It's not nice and as l've experienced first hand, yes there really are people out there who would wish harm on me and my family.
"Also, let's not forget, that we have media and what not snooping in here as it is, so anything I say and have said, could easily be brought up and used against me."
On the day of the recent Caerphilly by-election which saw Labour lose the key Senedd seat to Plaid Cymru despite polling predicting a Reform win, Jones published claims about the Welsh Government she had generated using Artificial Intelligence for members of her group to copy and paste and share online.
Three days later, she asked members of her group for their thoughts on a conspiracy theory that Prime Minister Keir Starmer wanted to enact the Civil Contingencies Act, freeze bank accounts, seize property and assets and cancel elections.
The next day, she told members that she had been banned from sharing links to the Facebook group.
Petition
Last year, Nation.Cymru obtained an image shared on the United Voices Facebook page of former Tory shadow transport minister Natasha Asghar posing on the steps of the Senedd with a crude homemade effigy of former transport minister Lee Waters.
Jones later demanded that Nation.Cymru reveal the anonymous source who provided us with the image.
When we declined to do so, Jones complained to the press regulator about Nation.Cymru's coverage of the incident.
The complaint was later dismissed.
Jones was one of the anti-20mph campaigners who was present on the steps of Wales' parliament with Welsh Conservatives when the record breaking Senedd petition was handed in.
A Conservative source told Nation.Cymru that Jones had previously said she was encouraging people to support the Welsh Tories in the upcoming May Senedd election.
We asked Annette Jones the following questions:
*What made you decide you wanted to stand for election for Nigel Farage's party?
*How long have you been a member of Reform UK?
*As a member of the United Voices Senedd Lobby Group, you spent some time with the Welsh Conservatives because the party has always pledged to scrap 20mph.
*A Conservative source has told Nation.Cymru that you had previously expressed support for the Welsh Tories in the Senedd. Is this true? Why are you now supporting Nigel Farage's party?
*Could your anti-20mph campaign group ever really have been 'politically neutral' when your announcement of plans to stand for Reform UK and your previous support for the Tories suggests you had a political bias all along?
*How did your campaign group take the news of your plan to stand in the Welsh election next year?
*Your United Voices Facebook group appears to have now disappeared. Why did you disable it?
Annette Jones responded with an attempt to block Nation.Cymru from publishing details of the posts she had shared online.
She claimed our media request for comment amounted to "harassment" saying she would seek legal action and call the police if we contacted her again.
We explained to Jones that it was perfectly legitimate for Nation.Cymru to publish the posts provided to us by a member of her group.
Support our Nation today
For the price of a cup of coffee a month you can help us create an independent, not-for-profit, national news service for the people of Wales, by the people of Wales.
Get more trusted Welsh news
Choose Nation.Cymru as a preferred source in Google News to see more of our journalism.