Reform's Lee Anderson the 'secret' main speaker at Caerphilly 'victory' event

Martin Shipton

Reform UK MP Lee Anderson has been lined up as the main speaker at a “Countdown to Victory” event to be held two days after the crucial Caerphilly by-election, we can reveal.

Members of the far right party will have reserved seating in the front rows and eat a three-course meal in the company of the former Conservative Party deputy chairman if they buy VIP tickets for £75 each.

Mr Anderson’s presence at the event in the Caerphilly constituency is meant to be a closely guarded secret, but details have been leaked to Nation.Cymru

David Thomas, a Torfaen councillor who is the Director of Wales Reform, has sent an email to members of the party’s Newport branch on behalf of its interim chair Kevin Preston, who doesn’t yet have a Reform email address.

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'Curry night'

The message to members states: “The next branch meeting will be held on Thursday 9th October at the usual venue, Newport Golf Club. The agenda is not fully decided yet, we will let you know in due course. We had intended to have a social evening ‘Curry Night’ but have decided to postpone this until November.

“The reason for this is our big ‘Countdown to Victory’ event at Bryn Meadows Golf Hotel & Spa, Maesycwmmer, Nr Ystrad Mynach, CF82 7SN at 14:00 hrs on Saturday 25th October where we will have Lee Anderson as our main speaker.

“We will also have a number of other speakers including Laura Jones MS, Cllr David Thomas (Director Wales Reform), Cllr Stuart Keyte, Cllr Maxwell Harrison and Llyr Powell the candidate for Caerphilly.

“This is a very important event for the branch and should be well worth attending.

“Standard admission tickets are available at £20 each or VIP tickets which include admission, front rows seating and 3 course evening meal with Lee Anderson in attendance for £75.

“Tickets are limited in number and we are offering them to our branch members first before advertising them to the other branches. All money raised by this event will go directly to branch funds to support our campaigning activities. Tickets are only available to members.

“As well as being a fantastic event you will be helping the branch raise much needed funds for our campaigning efforts for the Senedd elections [sic] which are not that far away. Please purchase your tickets as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

“Reform HQ have asked that members do not post details of Lee Anderson’s attendance at our event on social media, please take this request seriously. I look forward to seeing you at the next meeting and especially on the 25th October,”

The evening meal menu starts with Chef’s Homemade Leek & Potato Soup served with warm fresh baked bread. The main course is Roast Topside of Beef, served with roast potatoes, honey roasted parsnips & carrots, Yorkshire Pudding, and rich roast gravy.. A vegetarian option is also available. The dessert is Eton Mess, served with mixed berries, crushed meringue and Chantilly cream.

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Arrogant

A political source said: “By billing this dinner as a ‘Countdown to Victory’ event, Reform is arrogantly taking for granted the votes of the people of Wales, and most of the party’s supporters couldn’t afford £75 to dine with Lee Anderson.

"It’s appropriate though that their main speaker was a Tory MP until just 18 months ago. They want to con people into believing they’re something new, when so many of them are former Tories who have rebranded themselves as Reform.”

Meanwhile the Conservative candidate in the Caerphilly by-election, Gareth Potter, has been ridiculed for being the ‘guest speaker’ at his own fundraising curry night at the Raj of India restaurant in Caerphilly on October 8.

'Guest speaker'

A message sent to Nation.Cymru anonymously about the event said: “Do we have a guest speaker raising funds for his own by-election campaign in Caerphilly? How can he be a guest speaker? Surely, he would be a host speaker? Is he hosting himself?

“It’s saying something when the Welsh Conservatives can’t even book a guest speaker to drum up support for a serious by-election at the Senedd. Kemi Badenoch? Robert Jenrick? Mel Stride? Surely, someone was available Nobody has heard of Gareth Potter.

“It’s going to be a complete disaster as the planned curry night is also on the same day the party’s national conference finishes. It finishes at 1pm and the curry night is planned to start at 6pm, however it takes four hours to get back down into Wales from Manchester. Hardly anyone will go. It’s a complete shit show.

“Last weekend, there were only a small number out campaigning for the Caerphilly by-election. Just the usual suspects from floor three at the Senedd, ie mainly paid staff and MSs. They are completely out of touch. There is now a huge disconnect from floor three to the wider voluntary party. At this rate, they will be lucky to retain their deposit in Caerphilly. [Darren] Millar will be gone in May next year as Tory leader.”