Watch: Welsh Reform councillor's 'disastrous TV appearance'

Martin Shipton

One of Reform UK’s most prominent Welsh politicians “has no head for politics” a Labour council leader has claimed, following what was said to have been a disastrous TV appearance that exposed the party’s lack of credible voices in Wales.

Gareth Beer, Reform’s Carmarthenshire chairman and the party’s best-performing Parliamentary candidate at last year’s general election, was left floundering on BBC Wales’ Politics Wales programme, 14 months after coming within 1,504 votes of Labour’s Dame Nia Griffith in Llanelli.

Llanelli town council leader David Darkin described Beer’s performance as “shockingly inadequate,” saying: “He had no answers, no ideas and no clue. It must have been one of the worst TV interviews by a would-be Welsh politician ever.”

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Racist slur

Beer, a Kidwelly councillor, was grilled about a racist slur made by Reform’s Senedd Member Laura Anne Jones. His responses, according to Cllr Darkin, were “damning for her and indicate there may be a split in their party”.

During the interview with Teleri Glyn Jones, Cllr Beer dodged questions about the slur, saying: “I think she’s apologised for that. And I don’t really want to talk about Laura Anne Jones and that type of stuff…

“I stand with Laura. I stand with the party. We need to focus on what we’re going to do with the Senedd when we get in.”

Pressed on whether he was offended by the comment and whether it was acceptable, Cllr Beer replied: “Absolutely not. We’re not in the business of anything like that.”

He added that he wanted to “put Wales first,” but when asked what that meant, he said: “One of the first policies for the Senate (sic) is, if we get into power, to end the Nation of Sanctuary which cost £55m.”

He called immigration “one of the big issues” for Wales.

When challenged that the Senedd has no powers over immigration, Beer could only say: “It’s a pull factor isn’t it? If we advertise the fact that they will get free housing, free healthcare and all the rest of it, we’re basically putting up a flag to say come here when our own people can’t get housing, can’t get healthcare, and everything is at the bottom of the league tables.”

Asked whether he would make asylum seekers homeless, Beer replied: “Well genuine asylum seekers, yes.”

When pressed further, he backtracked: “No, no we look after genuine asylum seekers but we don’t open the door, we don’t raise the flag for everyone to come here.”

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'Senate'

On devolution, Beer was asked if Reform is a “broad church.” He replied: “Reform genuinely want to make the Senate work.”

After the interview, Cllr Darkin said: “Reform seem to be split over whether to keep the Senedd or make it work. They are attracting some oddballs and racist types into their ranks.

“Clearly Cllr Beer’s views differ from that of Reform Senedd member Laura Anne Jones, but he was not prepared to condemn her ‘racist slur’ despite the Senedd’s Standards Commissioner reportedly doing so.

“Councillor Beer has no head for politics and could not answer many of the questions put to him, particularly about policies that Reform will stand on at the Senedd election next May.

“I think local electors will be shocked if they see the interview. He was like a rabbit in the headlights.”

Nation of Sanctuary

On the Nation of Sanctuary, Cllr Darkin added: “At least 7,000 innocent Ukrainian people fleeing Russian attacks were made welcome in Wales. That was not raising a flag for everyone to come here. It was a humane act of compassion, in keeping with long-held Welsh values.”

He continued: “A Reform-led Senedd would jeopardise free prescriptions and the entire NHS here. You could see from Cllr Beer’s failure to give specific answers, they don’t like to be held accountable, or answerable, and they have no beneficial policies for Wales.

“They’re a mainly English-orientated party that wants to abandon our Senedd, and they are the same people who supported and called for Brexit. That decision hit Wales hard and is one of the main reasons Welsh people have been struggling with a huge increase in the cost of living.

“Now they are trying to dupe people into believing they have their interests at heart. And they’re weaponising immigration, despite the fact Brexit increased the number of small boat crossings. It’s all a ruthless con trick.”