Foul-mouthed activist quits as Welsh leader of far-right party that considers Farage too left wing

Martin Shipton

A born again former teenage criminal and failed politician has resigned abruptly as leader in Wales of Advance UK, a party set up by former Reform UK deputy leader Ben Habib, who considers Nigel Farage too soft on immigration.

In a video posted to social media with erotic artwork in the background, Richard Taylor said: “Good evening everyone. Richard Taylor here. This might come as a shock to you and some of you might be sad by this news. I, as of yesterday, resigned my position as leader of Advance UK Wales for personal reasons.

“I wish the party well for the future and wish all the members more importantly across Wales the best of luck in the future as they move forward with Advance. You do what you believe is right, you do what you believe is right for your community and your constituency.

“I will of course continue those friendships and those networks we’ve developed since travelling up and down Wales with my team. I just want to say a huge big thank you to every single one of you.

“For the purpose of clarity, I have posted this video on social media as people have been asking questions as to what’s been happening and whether or not I’m still the leader for Wales. I just wanted to confirm to you tonight that I have resigned my position, which has been accepted by Ben Habib for personal reasons which I’m not going to go into detail over. Suffice to say that you’re still going to see me. I’m still going to be about. The Richie and Rogue Show will continue.”

Richie and Rogue is a YouTube show espousing far-right politics that he co-hosts flirtatiously with his female co-presenter “Rogue”.

As recently as January 15 Taylor was filmed by a supporter outside a pub in Brynmawr. Asked how things were going for Advance UK in Wales, he said: “Really really well. We’ve made huge steps. We’ve now registered as a political party, which is exciting news and the membership is growing every single day.

“We’ve just come back from a meeting in Llanelli. We’re in mid Wales tomorrow, here in Blaenau Gwent tonight. Travelling up and down the country, meeting our members, encouraging them to recruit more members. We’re not looking at the Senedd election currently, because it’s too close to us now. We’re looking at 2029 realistically [the likely year of the next general election]. We’ve settled the structure. We’ve got a national director, we’re rolling out 12 regional directors, and we’ll be launching branches in each of the constituencies around Great Britain.”

Taylor did not rule out standing as an Advance candidate in Blaenau Gwent in the next general election.

British National Party

Another supporter, who identified himself as a former member of the fascist British National Party, speculated online that Taylor may have resigned as the Wales leader of Advance UK after being pulled up for posting a foul-mouthed video in which he says as he walks down a street: “You know what pisses me off more than anything is these posh twats in Westminster pretend they give a shit about people like us in towns and communities and villages where they have no connections. They have no understanding of what people are facing or going through, and they speak a load of shit trying to get your votes by telling you they’re going to fix the country.

“The country is broken. No shit Sherlock. I mean, every day we’re seeing and hearing of violence in our streets, borders wide open, everybody’s welcome. And that purple haired, pearl clutching bunch of wank stains saying refugees are welcome here. I got a message for you. Well, they’re not fucking welcome here. That’s why we’ve got the problems that we’ve got in this country.

“Mass immigration has changed our towns, villages and cities that are now unrecognisable from 10 years ago. 15 years ago. So when politicians turn up at your door with their suits and their leaflets and promise you they’re going to deliver change and everything else, they’re full of shit. They’re not going to deliver any change at all. The only thing that needs changing is their nappy. You know why? Because it’s full of shit. It’s exactly what they are. So politicians: go fuck yourself.”

GB News

Taylor, who has previously stood for Westminster and the Senedd for the Brexit Party and the Abolish The Welsh Assembly Party, became known across the UK through his previously frequent appearances as a pundit on GB News.

A self-confessed teenage criminal, burglar and drug user originally from Llanelli, he wrote an autobiography about how he found Jesus in prison.

Subsequently he became a pastor at an evangelical church in Cwmbran, but he left suddenly following a financial dispute and – as he put it in a podcast – after he “committed adultery against [his] wife”.

In the 2019 general election he stood as the Brexit Party’s candidate in Blaenau Gwent, coming second to re-elected Labour MP Nick Smith, who was 8,647 votes ahead of him.

By 2021 he had defected to the Abolish the Welsh Assembly Party. He stood for the Senedd, also in Blaenau Gwent, coming fifth with 1,364 votes (6.6% of the total vote). Sitting Labour MS Alun Davies was re-elected.

Advance UK has removed all references to Taylor from its website and does not carry a story about his resignation as the party’s leader in Wales.