Reform UK confirms its Welsh leader has bought a house in Bath - but claims he is living in Wales

Martin Shipton

Reform UK has confirmed that its recently appointed leader in Wales Dan Thomas has bought a house in Bath - but continues to maintain that he lives in Wales.

When Nigel Farage announced that the former Tory council leader in London would be leading Reform into the Senedd election campaign, he claimed that Mr Thomas had returned to his roots in the Valleys, where he would be bringing up his young children.

Mr Thomas himself made the same claim.

But Nation.Cymru reported how Mr Thomas had sold his house in London and told former council colleagues that he was moving to the Bath area for work, and to be closer to his family in Wales. His parents live in Blackwood, in the county borough of Caerphilly.

Hours after our story was published on February 6, we received an email from a Reform UK press officer that said: “Dan lives in Wales. Any claim to the contrary is entirely false.

“He lives here in Wales, where he is raising his young family. He is happy for any journalist to come and visit.

“It is a sad state of affairs that a taxpayer funded website can smear someone on the basis of nothing but hearsay without any proof.”

Nation.Cymru responded: “Please answer the questions [we had previously sent].

“Are you suggesting that Dan Thomas has not bought a house in the Bath area? Why are former council colleagues and others convinced that he has done so?

The Reform UK spokesperson then stated: “Dan has a property in Bath which he lets out, but he lives here in Wales.”

Nation.Cymru responded: “Thank you for confirming that Mr Thomas owns a house in the Bath area. This raises another set of questions.

“His former Barnet council colleagues and others say they were told he had sold his house in Edgware and bought a home in the Bath area, where he was relocating for work and to be closer to family members in south Wales. This is different to moving to Wales in order to bring his family up here.

“When did he buy a house in the Bath area?

“Did he move into it after leaving Edgware?

“If so, when did he move in?

“Why did he buy a home in the Bath area if his intention was to relocate to Wales?

“Was his original intention to relocate to the Bath area?

“What is the address of the house in the Bath area?

“You claim that he is letting the house out. When did tenants move in? Did he buy the house as a “buy to let” property with a “buy to let” mortgage, with a conventional mortgage or for cash?

“What rate of Stamp Duty Land Tax did he pay on the property in the Bath area - the basic rate or an additional 5% because he owns another residential property?

“What is his wife’s name?

“You claim that he is living in Wales. What is his address and when did he move there? Does he own the property or is he renting it? If he has bought it, what rate of Stamp Duty Land Tax did he pay on the property in Wales - the basic rate or an additional 5% because he owns another residential property?

“If he is only renting in Wales, what is the explanation for that at a time when he has recently bought a house in the Bath area?

“Is he living with his parents or his wife’s parents or is this a discrete dwelling?

“Former colleagues of his have told us that he moved to the Bath area to work for a large financial institution. Is that the case and if so what is the identity of his employer?

“Did his accommodation plans change as a result of the plan to announce him as leader of Reform UK Wales?

“To repeat questions I put previously that have not been answered, what are the the circumstances under which he became leader of the party in Wales - was the first approach made by him or the party, and when did this occur; when was it decided by Mr Farage that Mr Thomas would be appointed the leader and on what basis was the decision taken?

“In addition, did the decision entail a change in Mr Thomas’s living arrangements in order to comply with the legal requirement that he lived in Wales in order to be a candidate for the Senedd?

“Does he appear on the electoral register in the Bath area or in south Wales, and if so when was he registered?

“Is his wife registered at the same address?

“Given the opaqueness relating to Mr Farage’s accommodation in Clacton, you will understand why these questions are detailed and designed to produce as much clarity as possible.

“Please answer these questions promptly.”

Reform UK did not answer any of our questions, but stated: “The simple fact is that Dan lives here in Wales with his wife and children and your article claims he does not.

“We would like Nation to remove the article and issue a prominent correction.”

Mr Thomas subsequently released a video, in which he stated: “I think the establishment in Cardiff Bay and their supporters are truly rattled, which is why there was a smear story published in a small news outlet online yesterday. Making all sorts of claims that I don't live in Wales.

"Lots of inaccuracies in that article. But my message to journalists is to credible, trustworthy journalists. If you have doubts about where I live, you're very welcome to come over for a cup of tea. And I will prove to you that I am living in Wales. It's a bit sad I have to do that, but very happy to do it. And I'll only deal with credible journalists. Not bad faith actors who have an axe to grind, who are trying to portray a particular narrative and don't check their facts. I don't deal with those kinds of people.”