Ex-Tory party chairman who defected to Reform ‘is not a candidate for the Senedd’
Martin Shipton
Speculation at Westminster that a former chairman of the Conservative Party who this month defected to Reform UK might stand in next year’s Senedd election has been denied.
Sir Jake Berry, who was the Tory MP for Rossendale and Darwen in Lancashire from 2010 until he lost his seat to Labour at last year’s general election, has a holiday home on Anglesey.
A Westminster political source told Nation.Cymru that there was talk of Sir Jake standing for Reform in the new super-constituency of Bangor Conwy Mon. It had also been mentioned that he could become the leader of the Senedd’s Reform group of MSs and therefore its potential candidate for First Minister.
A number of polls have suggested that Reform could become the biggest party in the expanded 96-member Senedd following the May 2026 election, although it is thought unlikely that Reform would win enough seats for it to be able to form a government either on its own or in a coalition with the Conservatives.
Shocking
Nevertheless, the prospect of a former Tory UK government minister with only a tenuous connection to Wales having a substantial political role at the Senedd is viewed as shocking.
One political source told us: “It would be incredibly insulting to Wales to put up as a candidate someone whose only interest in the country is having a holiday home here. He has never expressed any interest in Welsh politics and knows nothing about it.
“It would, however, provide a well-paid job for someone who is currently missing out on their old MP’s salary.”
During his time as an MP, Sir Jake held a number of ministerial posts including Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Northern Powerhouse and Local Growth.
In September 2022, following the Conservative Party leadership election, the new Prime Minister Liz Truss appointed him to her government. He joined the Cabinet as Minister without Portfolio, and was also appointed to the role of Chairman of the Conservative Party.
‘Clumsy’
Speaking on Sky News in October 2022 about the approach the Truss government was taking to enable households to afford their utility bills, Berry said people could either cut their consumption or get a higher-paid job. He later apologised, describing his remarks as “clumsy”.
When Liz Truss was ousted from office and replaced as Prime Minister by Rishi Sunak, Mr Berry returned to the back benches. He was given a knighthood to soften the blow.
Announcing his defection to Reform UK in July 2025, Sir Jake wrote an article for the Sun in which he stated: “Old Westminster politics has failed. But there’s a better way.”
He said he was backing Reform “because I’ve always believed that change comes with challenging the old order. In shaking up the system when it isn’t working.”
We asked Reform UK Wales whether there was truth in the speculation that he would stand for the party in next year’s Senedd election and potentially be leader of its Senedd group. A Reform spokesperson told us: “Sir Jake Berry is not a candidate for the 2026 Senedd election. There are no plans for him to stand in Wales or to lead Reform UK in the Senedd.
“Reform UK will have candidates contesting every seat in Wales.”
Lockdown
During the pandemic in 2020, questions were asked about Mr Berry’s presence on Anglesey with his wife and two young children. Some considered it strange that an MP who represented a constituency in Lancashire should be spending lockdown in north Wales.
Virginia Crosbie, the then Tory MP for Ynys Mon, posted a message on social media after receiving a number of messages from constituents who believed Mr Berry may have broken Welsh Government regulations by travelling to the island.
Ms Crosbie explained that Mr Berry’s wife had been hospitalised with Covid symptoms while staying in the family’s holiday home on Anglesey.
A statement issued by the Conservative Party at the time insisted that the Berrys had complied with lockdown requirements by self-isolating.
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It would be an insult to Wales but then that is what reform is.
As i understand it,we will be voting for parties on the next Senedd ballot sheets and not for named candidates; which plays into the hands of any party wishing to put up candidates with no local connection or interest in Cymru politics.
Yes, but the legislation requires the Llywydd to table a motion as soon as practicable, of no later than 6 months, after the formation of the new Senedd to review the electoral arrangements. The current policies of Plaid Cymru, LibDems and Reform is to then change it over to an open STV voting system. This should finally put an end to the corpse of the Labour Party in Wales.
Surely you have to be a permanent resident in Wales to stand as a candidate? It would be ridiculous if someone was able to stand just because they’ve got a holiday home here!!
Well, such moves work for the Labour Party. Jenny Rathbone MS had some property at Llanfihangel Glyn Myfyr near Conwy when she was living and sitting as a Labour borough councillor for Islington. Then she found fertile Senedd pasture in Cardiff North.
I think that happened before the residency rules were changed.
Outsiders standing for election is nothing new. The Labour MP for Pembrokeshire has no greater connection with the county or country than his mother owning a holiday home in St Davids.
Looks like Reform UK continue scrape the barrel. If their candidates are not quitting a week into the job or being sacked for racist social media posts , they are attracting the most extreme failed Conservatives like a fly to the proverbial. Never knew a holiday home qualified you to stand in a Senedd Cymru election? What next? I had Welsh cake from Greg’s in Piccadilly Circus therefore I shall stand in the London Mayoral election.
Given his statement, I trust Cyngor Sir Ynys Mon has applied the requisite 200% holiday home council tax premium on his properties at Rhoscolyn.
Just another shark who may join the long list of sharks, wideboys, charlatans, ex this and that who look like making up the Reform “lists” here in Wales. If Plaid and the other Unionist parties can’t sink that lot with some well aimed critiques we will get the outcome that a generation of limp-wristed obsessives was bound to produce by its negligence. Wake up FFS !
If our Wales had its head screwed on, we’d recruit Jake Berry to the cause of Wales. He’s called a ‘Net Zero Remainer’ for one thing. But mainly he was Chairmen of the Northern Powerhouse. Highly effective at lobbying to remedy the 1000 yr old anti-North bias in England. Boris J (unsurprisingly) blew the whole thing when he broke a promise to meet Berry & Co to seal the deal. Cost the Tories their Northern Wall and serves them right. JB wanted a Convention for the North. Highly effective fellow. If we can cap foreign rugby players after 5 years,… Read more »
“Old Westminster politics has failed. But there’s a better way.”
It’s not old Westminster politics that’s failed it’s Westminster itself because it was designed to be a club for rich landowners not a real government of the people by the people for the people.
But Reform don’t have any answers for that. They just want to have a turn running the rich landowners club.
What failed Conservatives will Reform serve up?
Anecdotally there are enough Quislings in Wales to do nige’s bidding.
So, if you’re an awful human being, a rubbish and ineffective politician you get to join the Tories, if you’re worse than that, you get demoted to reform, and if you’re even more useless than reform, you get a job a gb news?? Gotcha.