Reform Wales rocked as leader quits after arrest

Reform UK’s Welsh leader Dan Thomas has stepped down after being arrested on suspicion of assault and controlling or coercive behaviour, triggering fresh turmoil for Nigel Farage’s party.

Thomas, who was appointed in February, led Reform to become the second-largest party in the Senedd at May’s election. He announced his resignation as politicians returned to Cardiff Bay after the summer recess.

Thomas insists he has done nothing wrong

Thomas said he was “standing down” for personal reasons after being reported to police over the weekend. He was released without charge and insisted he had “done nothing wrong”, saying he did not want the investigation and resulting headlines to distract from Reform’s work in the Senedd.

He will remain as Member of the Senedd for Casnewydd Islwyn and said he would support whoever the Reform group chooses as his replacement.

Gwent Police confirmed a 45-year-old man from the Aberbargoed area was arrested on Sunday on suspicion of assault and engaging in controlling or coercive behaviour. Police said he had been bailed pending further enquiries.

Sarah Cooper-Lesadd

Reform hit by another Senedd defection

The leadership crisis came alongside another setback for Reform, with Plaid Cymru announcing that Sarah Cooper-Lesadd had defected from the party after being elected as a Reform MS in May.

Cooper-Lesadd said Reform was not interested in the work she entered politics to pursue and accused the party of prioritising “division, opposition and headlines” over finding solutions.

Her departure further cuts into Reform’s newly won foothold in Cardiff Bay, just months after the party’s breakthrough election result.

Farage faces mounting pressure

Thomas’s resignation represents another disruption for Farage as Reform attempts to turn its electoral gains into sustained political influence in Wales.

It also comes after polling showed nearly seven in 10 Britons held a negative view of Farage, according to the figures cited in the report, adding to pressure around the party’s national leadership.

The immediate focus now turns to who will take charge of Reform Wales as the party faces the challenge of maintaining its momentum amid the leadership upheaval.

Reform leader in Wales quits after being arrested