Reform MS defects to Plaid Cymru in attack on party’s approach to Wales
Nation.Cymru staff
A Reform UK Member of the Senedd has defected to Plaid Cymru, accusing her former party of having “no interest” in governing Wales and being more concerned with “division, opposition and headlines”.
Sarah Cooper-Lesadd, who represents Pen-y-Bont Bro Morgannwg, announced on Tuesday that she had left Reform and joined Plaid Cymru and its Senedd group.
Her move takes Plaid’s representation in the 96-member Senedd to 44 MSs.
Ms Cooper-Lesadd, who grew up in the care system, said she had entered politics to represent care-experienced people and others she believed were being overlooked.
She said: “Reform has no interest in the work I came here to do. They are not serious about governing Wales. They are far more interested in division, opposition and headlines than in finding solutions.
“There is a real appetite in the group to want the government to fail, and no interest in what that failure would mean for the people we represent.”
Ms Cooper-Lesadd said she had wanted to vote for the Welsh Government’s supplementary budget and had opposed Reform’s decision to table a debate on Wales being a Nation of Sanctuary.
She said: “I cannot support Reform’s attacks on people seeking sanctuary or other vulnerable groups. I particularly reject the way minorities have too often been used as political targets.
“I do not believe anyone should be scapegoated or dehumanised to win votes, and I will not be part of a politics that does that.”
She also accused Reform’s UK leadership of having little interest in Wales.
“The party centrally has no interest in Wales. Their Senedd group is a staging post in the effort to get Nigel Farage into Downing Street, and that was glaringly obvious at its conference this week,” she said.
Addressing those who voted Reform in May, Ms Cooper-Lesadd said: “I have not stopped listening to you. You told me you felt ignored and let down. Those concerns are real, and they will be answered by delivery, not division.”
Devolution
She said she now believed devolution offered Wales the opportunity to make decisions closer to the people affected by them.
“I believe in a Wales that is confident, compassionate and ambitious. A Wales that uses the powers it has to improve people’s lives and seeks the powers it still needs,” she said.
“Plaid is serious about governing, serious about delivery and serious about Wales.
“I know what I am asking of Plaid members who spent May campaigning against the party I stood for, and I will work to earn their trust.”
Plaid Cymru’s Senedd group chair Marc Jones said the party’s group and National Executive had agreed to accept Ms Cooper-Lesadd following an internal process.
He said: “A decision to allow a member to cross the floor, particularly from Reform UK, is not taken lightly.
“It has been clear for some time to many of us that Sarah is sincerely motivated by a desire to make a positive difference, particularly for some of the most vulnerable people in our society.
“She has been honest about her political journey and has acknowledged that she was wrong to believe Reform was the right political home for her.”
‘Persuaded’
Mr Jones acknowledged that Plaid members had fought May’s election on a platform opposed to Reform, but said growing the party meant persuading people from different political backgrounds.
He said: “May also showed that people from many different backgrounds and political starting points can be persuaded by our vision for Wales.
“Building our movement means reaching out, having conversations and persuading people and allowing people to change their minds.
“We are therefore pleased to welcome Sarah to Plaid Cymru and look forward to the contribution she can make to our party, our Senedd Group and, most importantly, to the people of Wales.”
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Having listened to Sarah in the Senedd, I was surprised that she was in Reform. Good to see that she has reached out and been accepted by Plaid.
I see others from Reform either become independent MS’s or crossing the floor but 2 Reform MS won’t be welcomed back to the Tories!!
She probably bought half of Reform’s hype. They do talk the good talk in some circles and some of them do actually want to change things for the better, even if we disagree with what ‘better’ is half the time.
I look forward to more defections and the resurgence of the Conservatives in Wales no doubt XD.
The Tories are almost as bad as Reform, so much so they could be called Reform Light.
There will be others that didn’t realise what they were getting into. The Cons, Dems and Labs should all start listening.
Don’t know much about her, but definitely get the feeling from what I have seen that she is very different from the other personalities we’ve seen so far in the Reform group.
Will be interesting to see if Plaid Cymru is a better fit for her, and if this defection leads to further fragmentation of the Reform group which already seems pretty fragile with talk of Restore defections.
Definitely didn’t have the first defection to PC on my bingo card…
Common sense prevails.
My initial reaction was one of disbelief and i’m still not convinced. Why has she taken so long to walk away from the transparent hatred on display? Does she want the Ukraine flag down? Does she object to other flags going up? Does she want Y Senedd closed down? Does she approve of racist abuse and incitement to violence against non whites and immigrants more broadly? Has Plaid checked her socials? The questions will go on. From the Hate Wales 34 to the Love Wales 43. I don’t get it.
Perhaps she just had a speedy political education and then she had to realise the mistake she had made which many people find impossible to follow through on. Yes I hope there has been a deep check.
If you don’t see it yourself and or used to banter, it becomes tricky to see. Normal behaviour basically. Ukraine flag should probably come down (but raised every so often say on a monthly solidarity day). The Flag of St David should probably be going up. The Palestinian flag should go up, along side whatever flag is representing Jews in Wales nowadays, again, not regularly. The UN flag maybe. I’d also… love to see the Flags of Ireland, Isle of Man, Kernow, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Canadian flag would be great! Anything except the British, St George’s Flag, Israeli flag,… Read more »
Did you actually read the article? Most of your queries are answered.
Yes i did and no they are not. I have read up on Sarah. Applying my humanity first which i should always be able to do, she was dealt a terrible card at the start of her life and to her credit, in line with her life experience, she tabled a motion when in her previous party in support of care leavers which flew in the face of the Toryform class. I have only traced her political life back to 2022 and from then until yesterday, she has been entirely Tory/Reform. That is long enough to KNOW what these parties… Read more »
She had no connection to Wales or the locality she was parachuted into, she never campaigned or worked with the local branch and due to the think tank group who promoted and put her there. They pushed out the hard working loyal candidates who have lived and worked in the area for years. So you can only blame those at the top who let the constituents down. The people in the constituency supported the previous loyal candidates who raised thousands of pounds for her and others to walk in to a job they didn’t deserve. And then only to be… Read more »
She is Welsh, born in Newport.Not her fault she was adopted at age 7 and taken to England by her adoptive parents.
This could end terribly.
Con in 2024
Reform then Plaid in 2026
I for one, want a full explanation as to how this has happened. Was she soft in the head?
It doesn’t rain at Defraud HQ but it does pour….
Well, let’s give her the benefit of any remaining doubts
Remember the Late Mohammad Asghar who was first elected into the Senedd for Plaid Cymru. He then realised that Plaid Cymru’s aim was independence for Cymru, so he joined the Conservatives.
Just realised that defection is only a letter short from defecation.
As did his daughter
I’ve watched some of the Senedd discussions and she is one of the only sane and articulate people in Reform UK.
Not happy with anyone from reform coming into our Party. There must be something up with this lady to be with Reform in the first place!
Herd of Cows
Flock of Geese
Murder of Crows
A Vomit of Reform Candidates/Voters.
It’s a political party, not a purity test. If Plaid has been successful enough in presenting a positive vision for Wales that results in politicians joining the cause that’s very much a good thing. Reform got 29% of the Senedd vote. Those voters are not all bigots and idiots, many are just desperate for some kind of change and attracted by the slick lies of a party which has been very successful in presenting itself as challenging the status quo. We need to keep on exposing Reform’s lies, incompetence and unpleasant politics to reduce their support, but the people who… Read more »
Well said. I am happy to accept that Sarah has rediscovered her humanity and, unlike the average Reformer, is willing to admit she was wrong. Now let us see how she puts that awareness into practice.
In order to win a majority, we are going to have to reach out to, and engage with people of different political persuasions. We can’t afford to close ranks. It is actually good that we are being seen to win over people from across the political spectrum.
There is hope yet. Though reform should be a known quantity by now. Hope she makes a great contribution in her new party.
I cautiously welcome this, but being Reform or a supporter does make one automatically, very untrustworthy.