Former Tory Westminster candidate defects to Reform
Twm Owen, local democracy reporter
A former Conservative Parliamentary candidate has become the second member of the party on a Gwent council to defect to Reform UK.
The Conservatives however have dismissed Nick Jones, who stood for them at the 2024 general election, and stated he produced one of the party’s worst ever results in Newport and blasted his proposal for a motorway tunnel under the city.
The former candidate, who is also known as Nicholas, stood for the Tories in the Newport West and Islwyn constituency but was beatin into third place by Reform which claimed second spot behind Labour’s Ruth Jones.
Reform UK has now announced Mr Jones, a member of Pontypool Community Council, has joined the party and will sit on the volunteer council, which doesn’t operate along party lines, as a Reform councillor.
In a statement released by Reform UK Mr Jones said: “The Conservative Party in Wales has stopped listening and has run out of ideas.
“In order to better represent my community and the aspirations of the hard working people of this nation, I have joined Reform UK.
“To my former colleagues and to people across Wales, I ask you to join us on this journey to break up the political consensus and bring prosperity back to our left behind communities.”
His former Tory colleague Newport Conservative Party Chairman, Cllr David Fouweather said while he wished Mr Jones “all the best in his venture with Reform” he wouldn’t be missed.
The Allt-yr-yn councillor said: “Nick stood for us last year in the 2024 general election and produced one of the worst results ever seen for the Newport Conservatives, whereby finishing in third place with a drop of almost 22 per cent in the vote share.”
“I hope he abandons his suggestion to build a tunnel under Newport that could cost the taxpayer over £12 billion – twelve times more than the proposed M4 Relief Road.”
Defected
Mr Jones joins Stephen Senior, who was elected to Pontypool Community Council as a Conservative in a February by-election, in having defected to Reform. The party is also represented on Pontypool Community Council by Sarah Lang who was elected in the Trevethin ward in a by-election in July.
Mr Jones was previously a Torfaen Borough Councillor for the New Inn ward before losing his seat at the 2022 council elections when he finished in last place as Labour won all three seats in the ward.
He remained a community councillor for the New Inn Upper ward with that election uncontested.
The defection leaves the Conservatives with just two members on Pontypool Community Council which has 16 Labour councillors.
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The trickle of vomit continues. I have to question the wisdom of anyone following this path especially as Farij won’t be the leader for very much longer. The increasing scrutiny on the Russian question and the allegations of anti Semitism and racism have got him on the run now. This will continue until the pressure removes him and once the head is off the snake, Reform will Deform very quickly.
Will he ask if Farage apologise for his racist comments? The ones farage says didn’t happen then did happen but not in a hurtful way, yet that he says no one should be able to remember those comments now but he remembers he didn’t mean it? Maybe asking his new boss if making hissing sounds as he mentions people being gassed is a good thing? Maybe he asks his new manager about how gill took money and spoke against Ukraine and for Russsia, but farage didn’t know. And if farage didn’t know, at least why did farage not censure gill,… Read more »
Well said. He should have condemned his past despicable behaviour, apologise for it and do the honourable action and resign.
He also needs to call for a full independent inquiry into russian interference through his party. If he didn’t know gill was on the take, then who else. Until he proves otherwise the evidence points to more people.
Wonder how many people will spot the problem with “vote rebadged failed Toriesh”
Blimey, reform really is the sanctuary for failures from everywhere. The only place to sink lower to is a job at GB news.
What’s the scoreboard showing now, in terms of parties that have lost folks to Reform?
These folks are well and truly lost.
Its only failed Tories or thise on the right of Labour in Cymru who seem to want to defect to Deform.
Reports now suggesting Faraj wants to merge with the Cons before 2029 so this was all part of a sinister Tory plan to spin of a militant wing to build up new support to replace their aging vote base before recombining T-1000 style to crush the opposition.
Reform, the retirement home for failed Tory politicians.