Caerphilly Reform candidate is an ex-Tory political chancer, says Plaid
Martin Shipton
The newly selected Reform UK candidate in the Caerphilly by-election has been described as a “political chancer” after an examination of his tweets revealed him to be an ex-Tory who has completely changed his attitude to the Conservative Party since joining Reform.
Plaid Cymru highlighted social media posts by Llyr Powell, who was introduced by Reform leader Nigel Farage on Friday as his party’s candidate in the October 23 election caused by the sudden death in August of Labour MS Hefin David.
‘Formidable’
In July 2022, at a time when the Conservatives were electing a new leader following the resignation of Boris Johnson, Mr Powell tweeted in relation to Kemi Badenoch’s appeal for support: “This is a seriously strong pitch. Kemi Badenoch would make a formidable Leader and Prime Minister. I do hope she can make it through to [the] membership ballot!”.
A week later, after Ms Badenoch had been eliminated from the contest, Mr Powell tweeted: “I supported Kemi but would never vote for Penny [Mordaunt]. Rather Liz [Truss] on the final ballot.”
Ms Truss was elected party leader and became Prime Minister, but was forced out of office after less than two months following a disastrous mini-budget that spooked the financial markets and caused the pound to fall to its lowest ever exchange rate against the US dollar. She became the shortest serving Prime Minister in British history.
Looking ahead to the next Tory leadership election, Mr Powell noted a tweet from Young Conservative “internet personality” Emily Hewertson that said: “It’s almost certainly going to be Penny Mordaunt or Rishi Sunak”, and responded: “Probably for the best and hopefully after 2024 Kemi can be the person who rebuilds.”
In May 2022 Mr Powell had been a Tory candidate in Grangetown at Cardiff council’s most recent city-wide election. He came 11th in the four-seat ward with 442 votes.
By New Year’s Day 2025, however he had abandoned the Conservative Party and joined Reform, tweeting as if he had never been associated with them: “The Tories can spin, promise and deflect all they like, but after 14 years of chaos, nobody trusts them at [sic] and nobody will again. Britain is broken. Britain needs Reform.”
‘Sinking Tories’
Liz Saville Roberts, the Westminster leader of Plaid Cymru, said: “This is yet more evidence that Reform UK is nothing but a last chance raft for sinking Tories. Meanwhile, Plaid Cymru’s Lindsay Whittle has dedicated decades to fighting for local people. That’s the real choice in Caerphilly – a community champion with Plaid or a political chancer with Reform.”
Before joining the Conservatives, Mr Powell had worked for UKIP as a spokesman in Wales – a role he held until recently with Reform.
He was also involved as a director with a short-lived pro-Brexit think tank called the Centre for Welsh Studies, which received secret funding from right-wing financiers in the United States to push their ideological agenda.
Its board of advisers included former Welsh Secretary David Jones, the then Conservative MPs James Davies and Sarah Atherton and the Brexit Party MEP Nathan Gill, who later became the leader of Reform UK in Wales and is currently awaiting trial for allegedly taking money from Putin’s Russia to ask questions in the European Parliament.
Violence
Mr Powell’s co-director of the Centre for Welsh Studies, Matthew MacKinnon, was one of five football fans banned from Swansea City’s stadium in 2012 for three years. In addition they were also ordered not to enter any town or city where Swansea City or Wales were playing away on the day of a match. The order was made by Swansea magistrates on the basis that they had caused or contributed to violence and disorder, which they admitted.
Mr MacKinnon also ran a climate change denial group called Eco Central, which used Facebook adverts to spread false and misleading information against what it called “climate alarmism”.
Eco Central’s campaigns featured doctored images of child environmental activist Greta Thunberg, and a Facebook banner for the organisation labelled Sir David Attenborough an “eco hypocrite”.
Mr MacKinnon, who previously worked for Brecon and Radnor MS James Evans, is now the director of external affairs at Reform UK.
Support our Nation today
For the price of a cup of coffee a month you can help us create an independent, not-for-profit, national news service for the people of Wales, by the people of Wales.
This is the danger for Plaid Cymru in this election!
Reform don’t care what is being said about them, just as long as they are in the media.
By attacking this fool, all Plaid has done has drawn attention to him, resulting in getting people talking about him, rather than Plaid.
Concentrate on being Welsh and ignore these clowns!!!!!
I do agree with you there. I think it’s best if attacks are kept to a minimum. I’ve come across political leaflets (not Plaid) in the past which were virtually completely covered by attacks on other parties – it did them no good. Besides, from my conversations on doorsteps, people are sick of confrontational politics and want politicians to work together more for the better of everyone.
That will definitely work. If we ignore them and put our fingers in our ears and sing la,la,la, everything will be fine, and Welsh democracy won’t be facing it’s biggest threat in decades.🤪
But that’s the point!
Nige and his mates have learned and applied a a simple lesson to which I have referred more than once – there’s only one thing worse than being talked about, and in politics, not being talked about.
Think about it…we are exchanging messages about reform…
Ignoring the Brexiteers didn’t go well.
You have in a way confirmed my point.
Boris and his chums were very good at manipulating the media – stunts, buses et al, “good” stories.
Nobody took him seriously, but the message was repeated over and over, fiction became fact and until eventually taken seriously by the great thinking Welsh public.
The vote for brexit in wes was considerably skewed by Engiish retirees. There are several reports conducted about this.
If you like jumping ship, are a political chancer, or hold a criminal record, then reform is the party for you. What a distasteful bunch of thugs. I hope the good people of Caerffili and Cymru will show these English nationalist clowns the door. VOTE PLAID ,GREEN OR GWLAD.
What’s the point of voting Green or Gwlad in Caerffili you are just going to split the anti Labour and Reform vote.
Excellent article Martin. Thoroughly researched and detailing the history and connections of these charlatans.
It clearly shows they have no interest in the needs and future of the people of Wales, and are incapable of representing them at any level.
Well done Martin! You’ve really done your research. Possibly the only positive thing that can be said about Llŷr Powell is that he speaks good Welsh, and used it effectively in his initial address – to the amazement and amusement of his party leader, whose response was a typical Englishman’s comment and a snigger. It speaks volumes about Farage’s understanding of the linguistic complexity of Wales – or indeed of the Senedd he wants to invade
Just saying but as someone who votes… I rarely care about the individual or their prior record and more about the party and the manifesto. Unless they’ve been really really naughty, I couldn’t give a hoot… I’m pretty sure I represent the majority of people who vote on that score. The idea of an MP is that they represent the views of the constituency. If jumping ship to another party gets them elected, there’s nothing wrong with that and its not a sign of weakness on the individuals part either. Shamefully, most MPs and AMs don’t represent the views of… Read more »
Reform are in no way unique, especially as the party didn’t get exist 3 years ago.
It’s curious how little people reflect on history, some of our finest politicians and prime ministers have jumped between parties. I would say it’s healthy for our democracy that people aren’t wedded to the same political party for their lives, it’s better to align with their whose values and policies they agree with.
The incessant personal attacks aren’t great journalism; they should be challenged on thins they’re going to do it elected to power
That final paragraph of yours is am important one. Deform don’t have any actual plans on how they will implement their policies except maybe to cut council tax. But then in the Trowbridge and St Mellons councillor election, they are complaining about the possibility of a 3 week bin collection. How are they going to fund council responsibilities with reduced income? Fracking?
I heard Powell on Radio Chmru a few days ago. Pathetic. He was unable to discuss any policy, he couldn’t describe the perty’s vision and hD nothing to say re Welsh leadership.
Chaos, discord and possibly worse if this shower are elected. We’ll reap the whirlwind.
Fair enough if they want to change to another party, but that should result in an automatic by-election.
Can you name me ONE coherent Reform policy for Wales. Farage admitted as much when asked at the launch ‘We will… ‘ and ‘in progress’
In fairness to them they had a conference last week and barely anyone has talked about policies, though admittedly some were nebulous. They want an increase in income tax and Vat threshold for lower paid, and small businesses respectively. Obviously those need Westminster approval (and are uncosted, but plaid and Tories are no better in that regard). But also increase digital and physical infrastructure to ‘reduce inequality’ in wales, more vocational training in wales, scrap net zero, scrap TV licence. But on your point what are the plaid, Tory and labour policies?? There are plenty of holes in their viewpoints.… Read more »
It is a sign of weakness if you skip from one party to the next populist bandwaggon,and keep skipping. That’s what Llyr has done
Would be interested to hear how close he was, if at all, to the activities of his former employer; the alleged Russian asset and former MS, Nathan Gill, who is currently facing really serious charges regarding his alleged association with the Russian regime.
Garage makes the headlines where ever he goes and what ever he does or says. Welcome in the new winners of all the upcoming elections. The rest have no chance. We have our local councillor election here in East Cardiff. The Deform guy doesn’t even live in the area, haven’t heard from him on our local Facebook page, he wasn’t selected by his party to run in his local Llanrumney area and yet all the talk is about getting rid of illegal immigrants. We haven’t got any in our local area, barely got any decent facilities or residential councillors. But… Read more »
when will people realise that last year 375,000 boat people arrived, and over 900,000 LEGAL immigrants were welcomed in by the Westminster governmen to do the poorly paid jobs like carers that British people didn’t want? You’re Welsh, Amir!
Pity poor Llyr ap Hywel. Those who are still colonially conditioned to deprecate themselves, their own people’s identities, their own cultural value and historical worth – who oppose their own country’s journey towards self determination, normality, dignity, equal respect among the family of nations – must surely be among the most wretched and saddest people of all in these islands.
Any one called Llyr ap Hywel might take offence at your use of that name in the context of this Anglo- supremacist lackey.
I feel a bit sad for him, to have spoken one full sentence in his native labguage and then be mocked by his own party leader making a face at him and ending with a snide crack at him and a snigger. A bit pathetic, really
If an apple cut in twain Reform UK are rotten to its Conservative core.
Laura is credible? “no c****y spies for me” she wrote in a whatsapp chat. The 20mph speed limit has prevented so many road deaths. And that is controversial. But not what she wrote.
Pug Ugly
Llyr is local to the area and each time I see him he’s a member of a different Party. Reform now, two years time it’ll be the next right wing grift
I call it “doing a Mark Reckless”.
Let’s face it, Reform is chock-a-block with former Tory failures.
It’s noticeable how the discourse of Welsh Reform councillors and wannabes is nearly always about Britain and seldom about Wales, even though they are campaigning for seats in the Senedd or a Welsh council.
Reform seem very keen on importing Americana. Will this extend to the 2nd amendment I wonder.
Bear in mind it is Reform Policy to do away with the NHS, replacing it with an USA Type insurance system, and we all can see how well that doesn’t work! Also has been muted that Employment security is not a right , nor is the Pension and sickness and disability benefits should provision. Also the ‘Human Rights ‘ acts introduced by Churchill is being looked at.,Please remember doing away with immigrants rights could also apply to you. This man is a millionaire ex public school educated City Trrader, whose life has about as much in common with you as… Read more »