Reform UK Wales leader stands down after arrest
Nation.Cymru staff/agencies
Reform UK’s leader in Wales has stood down after being arrested on suspicion of assault and controlling or coercive behaviour.
Dan Thomas said he was leaving the leadership for “personal reasons” but would remain a Member of the Senedd and continue to represent Casnewydd Islwyn.
Gwent Police said a 45-year-old man from the Aberbargoed area was arrested on Sunday, September 13, on suspicion of assault and engaging in controlling or coercive behaviour.
He has been released on bail pending further enquiries.
Mr Thomas, who was appointed Reform’s Welsh leader in February, led the party into May’s Senedd election, when it won 34 seats to become the largest opposition group.
Announcing his decision on Tuesday, 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.”
Gwent Police said: “On Sunday 13 September a 45-year-old man, from the Aberbargoed area, was arrested on suspicion of assault and engaging in controlling/coercive behaviour. He has been bailed pending further enquiries.”
Mr Thomas was unveiled as Reform’s Welsh leader by Nigel Farage at an event in Newport on February 5, just three months before the Senedd election.
Born and raised in Blackwood in the South Wales Valleys, he had previously spent much of his political career in London.
He served as a Conservative councillor in Barnet and led the council’s Conservative administration from 2019 until 2022.
Mr Thomas joined Reform UK in June 2025 before standing down as a councillor for Finchley Church End in December.
He had also previously stood for the Welsh Conservatives in Islwyn at the 2010 and 2017 general elections, finishing second on both occasions.
At his launch as Reform’s Welsh leader, Mr Thomas said he had returned to Wales after 27 years and pledged that the party would fight to win the Senedd election.
He said at the time: “We are at a turning point. We either settle for another four years of the same or we break the mould, start again and fulfil our potential. Wales is broken. Wales needs reform.”
Mr Farage said he had chosen Mr Thomas because he was “decent” and “respectable” as well as “battle hardened” from his experience in local government.
Reform went on to win 29.3% of the vote at the May 7 election, securing 34 of the Senedd’s 96 seats and becoming the second-largest party behind Plaid Cymru.
Baggage
A Reform UK source told Nation.Cymru: ‘’Dan came from nowhere having been a Tory County Councillor until well after the last Westminster election, and brought all sorts of baggage from his days leading a London Council.
“Bizarre he was ever appointed to begin with but HQ’s Matt Mackinnon wanted one of his friends to control everything. This is how London-run Reform UK Wales ends, disaster decision after disaster decision expect much more to come.”
Mims Davies MP, the Shadow Secretary of State for Wales said: “The dire state Reform in the Senedd finds itself in should be another warning of what could lie ahead if they were ever entrusted to run the national government.
“Dan Thomas MS was hand-picked by Nigel Farage MP to lead his party in Wales, yet within months their leader has had to stand down.
“Reform are hitting the news for all the wrong reasons – massive crypto donations, on top of the jailing of Nathan Gill for pro-Russian bribery.
“All this raises serious and deep questions about Reform’s judgement and leadership at every level.”
Reacting to Mr Thomas’ announcement, Ken Skates, leader of Welsh Labour, told the Press Association: “This is quite incredible news and many questions will need to be answered.
“Dan Thomas was a personal pick by Nigel Farage and this will surely demonstrate the appalling judgment of the Reform UK leader.”
Turmoil
Welsh Liberal Democrat Westminster Spokesperson David Chadwick MP said: “Reform wants voters to believe they are a serious alternative government, but what we are seeing in Wales tells a very different story.
“The turmoil in their Senedd group comes alongside serious questions over huge crypto donations and the jailing of former Reform UK Wales leader Nathan Gill for taking pro-Russian bribes.
“Behind all the noise and headlines is a party increasingly showing that it lacks the stability, judgement and credibility needed to govern.
“People across Wales deserve better than this constant chaos. They deserve politicians who are focused on their communities and on actually getting things done.”
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He’s the same age as me (45)? Must have had one hell of a paper round!
When someone lives their life in a constant boiling state of hate, it takes its’ toll.
True.
Do you really want Reform Wales?
Of course. They are the party for Wales and GB. They never tell the truth. They never know what they are doing and they know nothing about politics. They take loads of funding from crypto billionaires, oil barons,billionaires in general and they want to remove benefits from those who are struggling and give back to the super rich. They encourage climate change and relish a scorched burnt earth where humanity no longer exists. And they love trump amd are besotted with putin. They admire the zionists, um, because they murder Muslims. What is not to like about reform?
Even as he stands down, he was being economical with the truth. ‘I was reported to the police’. No, he was arrested.
Odious people, the lot of them.
Nos da Reform.
Who will Nige appoint now – it will be interesting, we may have a civil war between supporters of Helen Jenner, Llyr Powell, Cai Parry-Jones and even Jimmy Evans to take over – then again, they’ll simply do what Nige tells them
Either Laura Anne Jones, Nadim Zahawi, James Evans or Derek Roberts. All seem like “Decent” and “Respectable” candidates. Given his track record and that’s if he doesn’t appoint Liz Truss as a pair of safe hands.
Can’t be Zahawi as he’s not an MS. I’ve never heard of the others, so cannot comment.
Actually were Thomas to resign his seat in the Senedd, then Refuk could give his seat to whomever they choose. So maybe Zahawi could be.
Farage will appoint whoever Delo and Harborne tell him to. Why does Thomas still have the whip?
Hey, finally some confirmation that he lives in Wales.
Arrested by Gwent police, not quite the same. Doesn’t his family live in Bath?
So this creep still thinks he can still nick his £80,000 salary.
Zero to thirty three surely? Shortly to be thirty two.
Protecting our women and children.
You couldn’t make it up. Reform can’t even hold on to its leader in Wales. What a ragbag of a party they are.
It sounds as it it could be a domestic
Maybe family cheesed off they have to be in Wales .
Refrom will be absolute desperate to bury this whatever it is
The veneer is getting removed
O’Connell must fancy his chances
So that’s two consecutive Reform ‘Wales’ leaders finding themselves on the wrong side of the law. And these clowns want voters to trust them?!
Arrest the bloody lot of them because every day we hear of dodgy Reform politicians. Not one of them is squeaky clean. Having said that I have my doubts about other party politicians too.
Why am I not surprised? Typical little Englander behavior. Like throwing deckchairs at people in Ibiza, falling off balconies and shouting ‘we was robbed’ after loosing football matches. Should be arrested for treason as well. Wales hating Quisling.
He’s in my local (in Blackwood) most weekends, although seemed to be conspicuous by his absence in the one just gone.
We’ll see if he’s back on his stool this Friday night, doling out advice to those of his constituents daft enough to ask for it.
Whats the word on the street for the reason for his arrest?
Let’s hope the sentence is sufficient to allow a recall election
Deform going the way of UKIP ten years ago.
🙂
Diolch, Heddlu Gwent