Reform demands Senedd U-turn over ban on MS speaking

Emily Price

Reform UK has called on the Senedd’s Llywydd to U-turn on his decision to block a Member from speaking until he apologises for attempting to amplify a far-right conspiracy theory.

Shadow Cabinet Minister for Finance, Cai Parry-Jones, claimed his colleague Joe Martin had merely voiced the “legitimate concerns” of people across the UK about “rapid demographic change”.

It comes after Reform’s Welsh group boycotted Senedd proceedings in solidarity with Martin, who was barred from speaking after claiming that differing birth rates and mass immigration would leave white British people in the minority by 2063.

Concerns were raised that Martin, who has been reprimanded by the Llywydd several times before, was echoing the far-right “Great Replacement” conspiracy theory which claims white populations in Western countries are being systematically replaced by non-white immigrants.

Taking aim at the Senedd, Parry-Jones argued that politicians elsewhere in the UK had raised similar concerns as Martin without facing reprimands, claiming this was because “Westminster believes in free speech”.

The Reform MS complained that “censorship” had already taken place in Wales’ Parliament, with GB News “banned” as well as the use of the word “blanket” when discussing the 20mph default speed limit.

GB News was blocked from broadcasting on televisions connected to the Senedd’s internal network across the Cardiff Bay estate in 2023 after presenter Laurence Fox made offensive remarks about political journalist Ava Evans.

Members and staff can still watch the right-wing opinion channel on their personal or work-issued devices.

Members were warned against describing Wales’ default 20mph speed limit as a “blanket” policy after the Senedd’s standards watchdog concluded the term was “imprecise and inaccurate” because some roads remain at 30mph.

Pary-Jones also pointed to a ruling from the Senedd’s Llywydd Huw Irranca-Davies in June which warned Members should refrain from using language that had the potential to inflame debate.

In a video posted to Facebook, the shadow cabinet minister called on Irranca-Davies to “immediately reverse his Orwellian ruling” against Martin and “finally bring back free speech to Wales”.

The Senedd’s Llywydd is understood to remain firm in his position and will only call on Martin to speak when he has apologised for the comments he made.

Martin himself has said he will not apologise for his remarks.

In an opinion column for the National Pulse, Martin wrote: “I shan’t be apologising, because I haven’t said or done anything wrong.

“I asked a legitimate question to which my constituents and I deserve an answer.

“Massive demographic upheaval is coming to this country, and I’m worried about what will happen if we don’t address it.”

Martin added that he did not want to live in a country where the native population was being “out-reproduced” by Pakistani people, pointing to what he claimed were higher rates of marriage between cousins.

Calls have been made by some Reform UK supporters for the party’s group in the Senedd to now adopt an anti-Senedd stance.

Debate over whether Wales should have its own parliament has long divided right-wing politicians, with some believing that taking an abolish the Senedd stance could attract more voters.

However, Reform’s leader Nigel Farage has previously stated that the Senedd should exist and that his party’s goal is to make devolution work rather than scrap it.

In September 2025, Reform’s first MS, now its deputy leader in Wales, Laura Anne Jones, questioned whether the Senedd should continue if the party could not make it “work for Wales”.

Although Martin has not made any public statements calling for the Senedd to be scrapped, he has attracted the support of prominent politicians who believe Wales should not have its own parliament.

Restore Britain leader Rupert Lowe backed Martin following the speaking ban and called for the Senedd to be “shut down”.

Echoing the anti-Senedd stance of Lowe, Martin penned an opinion piece for GB News saying: “Establishment politicians, Labour and Tory alike, have wilfully imported millions of people, many of whom will not be able to contribute or assimilate.

“They must leave.

“Millions of people of all races in Britain agree and a parliament in which I am unable to represent their interests is no real parliament at all.

“The Senedd will decide its own fate: uphold freedom of speech or consign itself to tyranny, illegitimacy and irrelevance.”

Reform UK has tabled a motion for debate in the Senedd next week calling on Members to uphold and defend the principle of freedom of speech.