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Reform will shake-up status quo in Wales, vows Farage

By Molly Stubbs
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage speaks during a press conference. Image: Ben Whitley/PA Wire

Nigel Farage has pledged to shake up the status quo in Wales if Reform wins next year’s Senedd election.

The Reform UK leader said it is too early to make any specific policy commitments, but he promised “fresh thinking”.

Labour has led Wales since the Welsh Parliament was first established in 1999, but Reform UK and Plaid Cymru have topped recent polling for the election next May.

On Sunday, the leader of Plaid Cymru refused to say whether he would form a coalition with Labour to keep Reform UK “out” of the Senedd.

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'Fresh thinking' 

Speaking to BBC Politics Wales during a campaign visit to Caerphilly on Friday, in an interview which aired on Sunday, Mr Farage said he has a “full-time team” working on policies and he has been meeting with the former Conservative Welsh secretary David Jones.

“We’re going to bring in fresh thinking,” he said.

“We want to use every devolved power we possibly can to make the lives of small businesses and other bigger businesses easier in Wales.

“That is what we’ve got to devise for our manifesto coming up for May, to say we’re actually on the side of people working and people having jobs.

“We’re taking this very, very seriously indeed, but mid-October is too early to give answers to all of these things.

“All I can promise you is it’ll be very different to the status quo of the last quarter of a century.”

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Candidates 

On BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg, Rhun ap Iorwerth was asked whether his party would do a coalition deal with Labour “if it meant keeping Reform out”, to which he replied: “Well, we certainly want to keep Reform out, I think, in the interest of Wales.

“We would be in a position now if the polls are anywhere near to reflecting what the vote would be to being able to form a minority government of our own, but remember that there has never been a majority government in the history of devolution in Wales.”

He added: “What we’re doing is offering new leadership for Wales, a new way of doing things when we will be asking other people, well, back these ideas of ours, on poverty, on childcare, on the economy, so we can provide that stability, but under Plaid Cymru leadership that we haven’t had before.”

The candidates in the Caerphilly by-election are: Llyr Powell for Reform; Lindsay Whittle for Plaid Cymru; Richard Tunnicliffe for Labour; Gareth Potter for the Conservatives; Gareth Hughes for the Greens; and Anthony Cook for Gwlad.

Steve Aicheler is running for the Liberal Democrats and Roger Quilliam is the candidate for UKIP.

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47 comments

Amir

He is an earthquake or will certainly cause them with all the fracking he has promised.

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Harry

BBC: "He did not deny he was using Wales" https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx27282nneno

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Richard Lice

Fresh Thinking ? Comedy Gold "Jones The Jag" to shape policy for Wales The man who was chauffered 100m from The Welsh Office to 10 Downing Street The dinosaur who said "I believe that marriage is an institution ordained to sanctify a union between a man and a woman."

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smae

Having been in London once or twice... I prefer to use taxis to cross the road... (or the tube) (when in London of course).

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Fi yn unig

Anti Welsh leader asks anti Welsh defector from the party Wales rejects, like him, to formulate ‘fresh thinking’ for our country. Well, we know there is no good intention here so abolition it is. Don’t vote to die.

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Jeff

Lied abut brexit. Tried to start two summers of race riots. Condemns Gill but picked Gill the Russian shill, the conundrum is he denies russians bribed him, but they bribed Gill to say nice things which means if they did not bribe farage then he was already on on Russian message. farage will bring hate and violence to the Welsh streets, bought and paid for by his owners and cause a generation at least of of harm. Then look to the anti abortion groups he interacts with. Womens rights? Bye bye. Want the NHS? That will be gone, private cover only. People defecting to him are either pegging up their noses for the stench or full on wrecking crew that he will be. https://bylinetimes.com/2025/10/11/stunned-farages-admission-he-knew-nathan-gill-but-not-his-pro-russian-sympathies-does-not-stand-up-to-scrutiny/

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Harry

Discrediting support for Ukrainian refugees is a pro-Russian narrative. Were they asked to take that view or are they hoping to impress the Kremlin?

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Jeff

Easy for malign actors to find people already heading for their orbit when you are as shallow as farage. He spent a lot of time on RT. That station only had one mo, look after Russian interests. Now you have to wonder at all the revenue streams reform and farage has. Inc Crypto. Cons are going there as well. Not forgetting the Cons head in the US loves putin (trump probably scared of kompromat). I wouldn't expect any capable nations secret services to rely on one method on meddling. So Gill is not the only ploy though some you don't need to pay....

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In reply to Jeff

Harry

Farage already hinted there was much more to know: "what are we not being told?"

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Fi yn unig

It will probably go ‘We asked Mr Farage and Mr Jones for more detail on this promised ‘fresh thinking’. They did not respond’. Well, that’s the norm. The mouths open to spew bile then immediately close again. Free screech in soundbites then silence.

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Adam

Reform despise Wales. Their voters want an end to our culture and language, they want to see our decent communities torn apart with hatred and division. It's shocking that they've got so many supporters.

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Undecided

Shocking yes, surprising no. It’s what you get after a quarter of a century of nothing very much.

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Anonymous

Dead right.

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Garycymru

A little on the desperate and fairly nonsensical side to be fair. Destroying every part of a country's culture and its identity is worse than cutting one's nose off. Why on earth are the victims voting for an English party rather than a Welsh party?

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Adam

Sorry, I completely fail to see how destroying an entire country's right to self governance, every part of their culture and history will make things right? This just sounds like another bundle of Welsh hating gibberish.

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Richard Lice

"Farage denied having heard any of the pro-Russian statements made by Gill in the European Parliament because he was "travelling across Wales, Scotland, England" campaigning in the European elections in 2019".🤣😂 They must have worked hard to think that one up .Gills timeline of supporting Russia exceeds election time in any event He is taking the entire Nation for fools . I guess he missed all Gills appearances on Russia Today too .Having been on 17 times himself

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Jeff

Then there is this. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/oct/10/brexit-party-meps-vote-against-measure-to-combat-russian-propaganda

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Richard Lice

Farage was fully aware that Gill was skint. Worked hard for his friend to let him keep both jobs in the Assembly &European Parliament 5 kids to support and the banks had pulled property loans on HMOs he owned in Hull Ironically providing bunkhouse accommodation for immigrants . You couldn't make it up The reality is none of them cares where the money cones from .As long as it arrives

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Alan Jones

So the MP for Washington Central wants to "shake up the status quo in Wales", this is the same man that wants to reopen the mines so our children can go back under ground & face the dangers that killed thousands in the past. He has only one plan for the NHS & that's privatisation whereby only those with the means can afford treatment. He isn't about changing the status quo at all, more like dragging Wales back into the dark & dingy past. He's a treacherous & disruptive liar surrounded by moronic sycophants.

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FrankC

Farage and his rabble will destroy Wales. Any Welsh person that votes Reform is either a fool or a traitor.

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Harry

What is the correct response in the face of an Abolish Wales party? Sign up for Birmingham accent lessons?

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Jeff

Got to the point where you stop calling an existential threat to the UK a nice bloke down the pub (its a prop in case you fell for it). Look at what is happening in the US. We are going the same way if farage wins and we have less protections than the US. farage was calling for race riots two summers on the trot. Call it what it is.

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Garycymru

Traitor is a very accurate description, and one of the more polite ones. I actually view reform supporters in the same manner as sex offenders and wife beaters.

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Dai Ponty

The next 10 years will see the end of the DISUNITED KINGDOM the numbers are growing for Welsh independence and its back on the agenda in Scotland and a unionist politician in the Northern Ireland stated yesterday that the biggest threat to the UNION is Farage Reform when they a are protesting in England if you look at the flags they are mostly the English flags and wearing hats with MEGA on them which means Make England Great Again these are English nationalists and want an English independence from the U K which to me we will all get independence as Reform are a far right fascist English nationalist party SO ENGLISH INDEPENDENCE is the elephant in the room also i read all the newspapers online and the likes of the Daily Mail comments saying if King Charlie will not get rid of andrew and he wont he has not got the bottle it will be the end of the Royals Brilliant because when we leave the U K we will become a republic and not have Royals as head of state

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Jeff

Problem with fascists is they don’t like to give up power. Welsh Indy is still a way off and if Farage gets in, punted out of reach.

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Dai Ponty

You are looking at it this from a wrong angle ITS THE ENGLISH WANT INDEPENDENCE FROM THE U K so the Fascists you say will not want give up power well they will have to because the people in England support them want it so all countries will be winners no bloody U K and we are al independent

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In reply to Dai Ponty

Jeff

No. really no. We are a resource to be sold off to the highest bidder. Farages owners demand pay back. We will be part of the coin he uses. We are also the petri dish for his hateful rule. They don't let people out when they have you.

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Steve D.

So why the lack of a Welsh Reform leader? That alone shows what the party truly thinks about Cymru. Why are people even thinking about making an English nationalist party the biggest party in the Senedd? One of the biggest things preventing us from becoming a successful independent country is the lack of belief in ourselves. Believe in our country and vote Plaid Cymru.

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Richard Lice

I reckon They are waiting to announce a big defection Possibly Andrew Davies or "our Nat" Ashgar . Davies has been silent on Gill and notably absent from Caerphilly Surely they cant be thinking of shoehorning Aaron Banks in

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Nobby Tart

Definitely RT. I can't see Natasha going.

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In reply to Nobby Tart

Richard Lice

She is a total opportunist Like her father she tried Plaid She even had a pop at the London mayoralty Newport looks unfortunately set to go to Reform so she might find herself booted out Safety first?

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In reply to Richard Lice

John Ellis

'Like her father she tried Plaid' Indeed. And worth remembering that her late father Mohammed, pleasant and courteous though he invariably was during his time on the Tory benches, was first elected to the then Assembly as a Plaid candidate. But when Plaid brought in a rule which forbade its assembly members to employ their relatives as support staff in the context of their work as elected members, Mr Asghar, who employed, as I recall, both his wife and his daughter in that capacity, promptly defected to the Conservatives. I draw my own conclusion from that.

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Oswald Meusli,(Sir)

I think Gareth Beer should lead Reform in Wales. His performance in that brilliant interview he gave recently has shown him to have all the right attributes to lead the Senedd. NHS? We'll get the right people to run it. Inspirational. .Cometh the courier, cometh the van. Or something like that.

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Valley Girl

I expect there will be civil war in Wales if Reform win next year.

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Garycymru

Exactly what Nige, Tommy and their Russian employer want. It's pretty obvious.

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Y Cymro

English imperialist Nigel Farage might have the gift of the gab when it comes to demonising the EU, Muslims or asylum seekers , but he hasn't a bloody clue when it comes to Wales, the Welsh culture, language, or our needs as a people. His manifesto for Wales doesn't exist. His idea of policy is copying & pasting England to Wales. Truth be told. And less those in Reform UK forget. Devolution hasn't failed Wales. British Unionism, lack of powers and will to devolve have. Apparently the leader of Reform UK is pro-devolution. Oh sure he us. Oh but he would abolish the Senedd if he could not make it work? This makes no sense? Also , what parameters would be met for that to occur? And if there were to be a Reform UK Welsh Government, would mean his administration failing therefore triggering any dissolution, baring in mind the Welsh Government could not scrap itself as admitted by Farage recently in an interview. Apparently that power is in the hands of Westminster. But call me old fashioned. I assumed if it took the Welsh people to vote for devolution in 1997 in a referendum, also reserved the right to remove it in another, not Westminster. It's called democracy. Wales & Britain experienced 14 years of failed Conservative Government. Did Farage and Reform call for Westminster to be abolished? No. He & they want to be Prime Minister, and they form the next Reform UK Government by changing the system from within not remove lock stock and barrel the House of Commons as he wants with the Senedd in Wales. Hypocrite! And why has Reform suggest only abolishing devolution in Wales, but not the Scottish Parliament, Northern Ireland, or the London Assembly? Anti-Welsh in fact. This is why we not only need to remove Welsh Labour from power next May , but prevent Reform UK next May from getting anywhere near the levers of power by voting for a Rhun Ap Iorwerth First Minister and a majority Plaid Cymru Welsh Government not only to protect the sanctity of Welsh devolution, but ensure our voice is heard and we secure an independence referendum afforded to Scotland in 2014.

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Richard Lloyd

It's not enough that his lies led to Brexit, the biggest con act in politics. It's not enough that it's led to the greatest act of economic self-harm. Now Farage wants to send Wales back 100 years and make us a serf region of England. And (some) people in Wales want this to happen!!!!

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Daniel Pitt

When are they changing their name to 'The Russia First Party'?

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smae

We're proud to announce the "Make Russia Great Again party" standing candidates in Carefilly, Cardiph, Rexam and Penbrook.

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Philip Owen

This last weekend, Reform were bussing in canvassers from Kent to make the numbers look good. They have money and (immigrant to Wales) feet on the ground. If they don't win convincingly they are a paper tiger.

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James Edwards

Anyone who votes for the racist far right English Nationalist Party is a traitor to Cymru.

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Garycymru

Much worse than that.

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Garycymru

I'm nowhere near "left" I just think Reform supporters are on the same level of humanity as woman beaters and child abusers.

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Adam

And cue the childish name calling and pointless whataboutism.

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Adie

I'm 61yrs of age and the only political candidate in all these years to knock my door was a reform candidate and that was yesterday fp to him, shame on all political party's not canvassing

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Garycymru

And shame on you for letting them on your property. It's up to decent Welsh people to show these types that there's no place for them in our communities.

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Fanny Hill

Perhaps you were out when the other parties called. Hang about, is Adie short for Adrian? Just asking.

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Replying to Adie Cancel

I'm 61yrs of age and the only political candidate in all these years to knock my door was a reform candidate and that was yesterday fp to him, shame on all political party's not canvassing

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