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Reform UK figure in Wales says he supports devolving water sector
Emily Price
A prominent Welsh Reform UK figure has told ITV Wales' Sharp End programme that he would support devolving the water sector to Wales.
Torfaen County Councillor Jason O'Connell, alongside two of his independent colleagues, became the Reform's first elected politicians in Wales in August last year.
Cllr O'Connell's comments come despite the party's only Senedd Member recently saying she wouldn't rule out scrapping the Senedd altogether if Reform came to power in Wales.
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Overhauled
The Welsh Government announced plans on Tuesday (October 21) to change how water is managed, regulated, and delivered in Wales.
It came after a review which called for oversight of water companies in England and Wales to be completely overhauled.
One proposal is the creation of a new, dedicated economic regulator for water in Wales.
During a discussion on Tuesday evening's Sharp End programme, Plaid Cymru's Cefin Campbell said: "We can fully devolve water and also sell the water and that is a way we can then bring down bills and invest in the infrastructure."
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Bills
When asked if he agreed, Reform UK's Cllr Jason O'Connell said: "Yes, I would welcome that... But aside from the financial, and the bills going up.
"I think we have to recognise that there is genuine public anger about the state of our waterways in this country.
"For 26 years it's been left to rumble on this way and we've seen Dŵr Cymru, their senior management team, take excessive pay packets for genuinely poor performance."
Welsh Conservative MS Tom Giffard criticised Cllr O'Connell saying his suggestions were merely "personal views" and that Reform UK didn't yet have any official policies.
Reform UK Senedd Member Laura Anne Jones had previously told the BBC that she questioned whether the Welsh Parliament should continue if Reform could not make it "work for Wales".
Her comments directly contradicted the views of Nigel Farage who has previously dismissed suggestions that his party would scrap the Welsh Parliament and said that Reform's aim is to "make devolution work".
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