Reform in Newport slammed after AI ‘slop’ transporter bridge blunder

Emily Price 

Reform UK’s Newport and Islwyn branch has been mocked for using an AI-generated “slop” advert featuring an English transporter bridge to urge locals to stand as candidates in the upcoming council elections.

The AI image shared on Facebook called for “passionate and committed” Reform UK supporters in Newport to “step forward” and become a candidate at the 2027 council elections.

However, instead of using an image of Newport’s iconic Transporter Bridge, the advertisement featured Middlesborough’s famous Tees Transporter Bridge which connects the industrial town on the south bank of the River Tees to Port Clarence on the north bank.

The poster also referred to Newport as a “town” instead of a city.

The Newport Transporter Bridge is a rare Grade I-listed aerial ferry that carries pedestrians and vehicles across the River Usk.

Arguably the city’s most famous and iconic landmark, it dominates the skyline and can be seen from miles around, serving as a powerful symbol of local pride and identity.

The AI-generated poster published by Reform attracted just 10 likes on Facebook, including one from the Newport branch itself and two from accounts operated by Casnewydd Islwyn Senedd Member Art Wright who didn’t appear to notice the blunder.

Social media users slammed Reform’s Newport representatives for using the wrong bridge in its messaging while calling up locals to stand as candidates for Nigel Farage.

One user asked: “Why have you used this bridge? Have you ever been to Newport to see it? Not like you lot to be so far from the mark.”

Another said: “Because it’s that hard to correct maybe next time use the right bridge and respect we are a city. Can’t expect people’s support if you don’t respect where they are from or their values.”

Another Facebook user wrote: “That’s Middlesbrough transporter bridge you jackasses.”

Labour figures in Newport also mocked the AI mishap, sharing the image to Facebook saying: “Reform flop. They don’t even know this is not our Transporter Bridge.”

Caerleon Councillor Jason Hughes also shared the post saying: “I know Reform struggle to find Welsh politicians, but when you want to represent a city, at least get its most iconic feature right – it might be out city, but that’s not our transporter bridge on their new (paid by oligarchs) poster.”

A Newport Labour group spokesperson said: “Newportonians are deeply proud of the city’s history and heritage – and especially of the Transporter Bridge which has been an icon of Newport for 120 years now.

“The fact that Reform have put this slop content out without anyone even noticing they were showing the wrong bridge tells us all we need to know about how unserious they are, and how little they actually know or care about our city.

“Add to this the fact that Casnewydd Islwyn MS Art Wright liked this post not once, but twice and it makes it even worse.

“It just goes to show why Reform’s desperation to parachute people into areas isn’t the right thing to do – our communities in Newport deserve representatives who actually know and care about our great city, not chancers like this who spend more time focussed on culture wars than our great city’s history and heritage.”

---

Get more trusted Welsh news

Choose Nation.Cymru as a preferred source in Google News to see more of our journalism.