Farage mocked after urging Powys voters to back Reform in ‘London elections’

Emily Price 

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has been mocked after publishing a campaign message in a Welsh newspaper attacking London Mayor Sadiq Khan and urging Powys voters to back his party in the “London elections” this week.

The two page party political advertisement for Reform UK appeared in the Powys County Times on Friday (May 1).

The message to readers featured a letter penned by Clacton MP Farage in which he praised London as one of the “world’s great capitals” while claiming it had become “lawless” and “unrecognisable” to “Londoners” under Labour Mayor Sadiq Khan.

Farage wrote: “If you want to get rid of Keir Starmer and change the direction of this country, there is one way to do it: Vote Reform in the London elections on May 7th.

“London needs Reform. It is one of the world’s great capitals. Yet these days Sadiq Khan’s London often feels lawless and unrecognisable to Londoners who can no longer afford to live in their own city.”

He added: “Above all people tell me that Reform UK is now the last real hope for change. I take that responsibility very seriously.

“We are the only serious challenger to Keir Starmer and his Chancellor Rachel Reeves.

“The Conservatives no longer represent a credible alternative. Supporting them risks allowing Keir Starmer to remain in power.

“If London and Britain are to move forward it will only happen if people come together behind one movement that can actually deliver change. That movement is Reform UK.”

Signing off the letter, Farage wrote: “We are standing candidates in elections all over London on May 7th.

“For decades the old parties assumed you had nowhere else to turn. Now you have.

“If you want real change you will not get it by supporting the same failed parties.

“We cannot do this without you and London will only get the change it needs if you vote Reform UK on May 7th.

“Vote for change. Vote Reform – Get Starmer out.”

Elections

A Welsh Labour source accused Farage of “fooling voters”.

They said: “For Wales, see London. Reform UK’s focus isn’t on Wales it’s on getting Farage into number 10.

“They don’t even care enough to place the right advert in the right country. It’s all about promoting Farage as their front man and fooling voters into thinking they’ve got more than slogans.”

On May 7, voters in Scotland and Wales will elect representatives to their national parliaments.

On the same day, a number of local council and mayoral polls will take place in England.

All 32 London boroughs will be up for election and a total of 1,817 councillors will be elected in the English capital.

In Wales, recent polling has indicated that Plaid Cymru and Reform UK are tied on Senedd seat estimates, while Labour’s vote share is being squeezed in all directions.

In England, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is facing a local election wipeout with both Reform UK and the Greens forecasted to be the big winners.

Londoners

In the run up to the Senedd election, Reform UK has published a number of advertisements in local newspapers.

Nation.Cymru asked the Powys County Times why it had published a party political advertisement for Reform UK that was directed at voters in London.

We received no response. We also asked Reform UK why a letter from Nigel Farage to Londoners had appeared in a Welsh newspaper, but received no response.

The Welsh Liberal Democrats accused Farage of using his party’s Senedd election hopefuls “in his latest quest for power”.

Lead Candidate for Gwynedd Maldwyn Glyn Preston said: “Reform can’t even get the right election on their own leaflets, it says everything about how little they understand or care about Wales or Powys and raises serious questions about their ability to run the country.

“While they’re busy talking about Sadiq Khan and London, the Liberal Democrats are focused on the issues that actually matter to people here in Powys, long NHS waiting times, rural communities, and securing a fair deal on investment from Cardiff Bay.

“Powys deserves representatives who are rooted in the communities they serve, who know and understand local challenges, not yes-men taking their lead from Nigel Farage in London in his latest quest for power and that’s what the Welsh Liberal Democrats are offering at this election.”