Laura Anne Jones named Reform UK’s deputy leader in Wales
Eleanor Storey, Press Association
Reform UK has named Laura Anne Jones as its deputy in Wales as part of a reshuffle following the arrest and resignation of its former Welsh leader.
Former deputy Helen Jenner was named leader of Reform in Wales on Monday, replacing Dan Thomas, who stepped down last week after he was arrested on suspicion of assault and controlling or coercive behaviour.
Ms Jones, who defected to Reform from the Welsh Conservatives last year, has been appointed Ms Jenner’s deputy.
Reform is the largest opposition group in the Welsh Parliament.
In a statement last week, Mr Thomas said: “It has been the honour of my life to have been the leader of Reform Wales and see this party go from zero to 34 elected members and become the largest opposition group in Welsh history.
“With deep regret, I am now standing down from this position due to personal reasons.
“Over the weekend, I was reported to the police and was released without charge.
“I stress that I have done nothing wrong, but I do not want the coming headlines to be a distraction from the fantastic work our Senedd team is doing in holding this Government to account.
“I will continue to serve my constituents in Casnewydd Islwyn and will fully back whoever the group selects as its next leader.”
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage visited Cardiff on Monday to announce Ms Jenner as the new head of the party in Wales, describing recent events as a “bump in the road”.
He said: “I’ve known Helen for many, many years.
“She’s a determined campaigner, someone that I trust, and I think’s going to do a very, very good job.”
Reform announced Ms Jones had been elected as deputy leader in a social media post on Tuesday.
She said in a post on Facebook: “I am honoured to have been elected Deputy Leader of Reform UK Wales and hugely grateful to my colleagues for their trust and support.
“We have made a fantastic start in the Senedd, giving a voice to the voiceless, holding the Welsh Government to account and standing up for communities that have been ignored for too long.”
She said Ms Jenner would be a “strong, effective leader” and added “I will do everything I can to support her”.
Ms Jones, Member of the Senedd for Sir Fynwy Torfaen, announced her defection to Reform last summer at the Royal Welsh Show.
In November, she was suspended from the Siambr (Senedd debating chamber) for 14 days after using a racial slur about Chinese people in a WhatsApp group during a discussion of the Chinese-owned app TikTok in August 2023.
She said in the Senedd in November: “I never meant to cause any offence and would never have that intention of doing so.
“It is deeply regrettable that the message and others in which I had aired my frustrations in private, which I’ve also apologised for and do again, were leaked to the press and made public where they had the potential of being misconstrued and hurt someone unnecessarily.
“My staff and I have all completed Senedd respect and conduct training, and I have actively been in contact and helped the community that is being referred to.
“I have reflected deeply on this, and I wholly accept the need to take greater care with my language at all times.”
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I suppose it might be because she’ll be no direct threat to the new leader, though there’s always her capacity for spectacular “accidents”. Or perhaps nobody else was willing.
It will be unbearably painful when she’s on as substitute in the Siambr.
So, farage encourages a violent attack on a women at a conference, send the attack dogs after a woman that spoke out at that terrible village that “voted” to leave the UK, wheel out two women to be in charge in Wales because…. trying to make misogyny go away?
Farage looking to bury “early doors” Thomas arrest for coercive behaviour with these 2 token lickspittle appointments
Dampen the backlash for the attack on the female protesters at the party conference
Numerous pictures of Laura Anne Jones gazing adoringly at Farage
You almost feel like breaking into song with a few Dewops
“My love must be a kind of blind love
I can’t see anyone but you
Are the stars out tonight?
I don’t know if it’s cloudy or bright
I only have eyes for you, dear”
Very apt as second place is the first loser