Controversial Senedd election candidate shares bizarre April Fools’ video

Emily Price

A controversial Senedd election candidate has claimed that Cardiff Castle will be used as accommodation for students and Welsh people trained as servants in a bizarre April Fools’ Day video. 

In the clip, published to social media on Wednesday morning (April 1), Propel party leader Neil McEvoy claimed that Cardiff’s 11th century historical attraction would be used as a luxury housing for foreign and English students.

Standing outside the main Norman Keep of the castle wearing a suit and sunglasses, the Fairwater councillor said: “Unbelievable, this is unbelievable. Watch this.

“Cardiff Council are selling our castle for student accommodation. Worse than that it’s luxury student accommodation – and they are going to train Welsh people to be servants.”

Pointing at the building’s iconic turret and clock tower, he added: “We’re going to have foreign students in, we are going to have students from England paying a massive, massive premium to live there and live over there and Welsh people doing apprenticeships in being servants.

“Learning how to be told what to do, learning how to do it and learning how to do it immediately.

“Yes sir, no sir, three bags full sir. And they’ve got this thing as well right, called the lord of the manor.

“So you pay a massive fee and you’re lord of the manor, you’re lord of that thing up there right.

“And do you know what? It’s the council leader Huw Thomas who is going to be the first lord of the manor.

“We all know he’s a bit of a posh boy don’t we – but come on Huw, lord of the manor? Come on. Selling our heritage.

Ending the video McEvoy said: “It’s April 1st. Ok so it’s April Fool’s Day.

“But I’ll tell you what – it’s not so unbelievable is it?”

Cardiff Castle to be student flats. pic.twitter.com/JWtmAE4ari

— Neil McEvoy 🟥⬜🟩 (@neiljmcevoy) April 1, 2026

Shortly after posting the video to social media, McEvoy published an edited image of Labour’s Cardiff Council leader Huw Thomas wearing a black tricorne hat, gold jewels and an ermine robe.

McEvoy was a regional Senedd Member for South Wales Central from 2016 until 2021.

After being expelled by Plaid Cymru following a series of complaints made about him, he set up a new party called Propel, of which he is the leader.

McEvoy stood in the most recent general election as Propel’s candidate in Cardiff West gaining 2.3 per cent of the vote share.

He now hopes to win a seat in the Caerdydd Penarth constituency at the May 7 Senedd election.

The chances of McEvoy winning the seat are low – although not impossible under the Senedd’s new electoral system.

The former MS has launched a crowd funder to support his latest election campaign with his party saying: “They don’t want him back in the Senedd. That’s exactly why we must send him.”