Reform UK’s last female Welsh branch chair resigns
Emily Price
The last remaining female Reform UK branch chair in Wales has resigned, citing ‘personal reasons’, amid an internal row over the lack of elections for senior party positions.
The announcement that Julie Price had quit her role as Reform’s Newport and Islwyn branch chair was sent to members in an email this week.
She is the tenth Reform Wales branch chair to leave her role within the last few months.
A copy of the correspondence sent to members by the new branch chair – Kevin Preston – was leaked to Nation.Cymru by a concerns Reform member.
‘Personal reasons’
It stated: “For those of you who weren’t at the last branch meeting there have been some changes in the make up of the committee.
“Our first interim chair, Julie Price, has resigned for personal reasons and myself, as the previous interim deputy chair has taken over as interim chair.
“Darren Crandon was elected at the meeting as the new interim deputy chair.
“We were unable to have the SGM and will therefore continue as an interim branch.
“The next branch meeting will be held on Thursday 9th October at the usual venue Newport Golf Club.
“The agenda is not fully decided yet, we will let you know in due course. We had intended to have a social eying ‘curry night’ but have decided to postpone this until November.”
‘Victim’
It is understood that Ms Price’s replacement was appointed by Reform’s regional director for Wales, Torfaen Councillor David Thomas, without a democratic vote.
A senior Reform UK source told us: “David Thomas is a misogynist who has now bullied off the last female Reform UK branch chair in Wales.
“This is the tenth victim and we just keep getting told that there’s ‘still no time for elections’.”
We contacted former branch chair Julie Price and asked the following questions:
*Why was it you stepped down from your role?
*It’s been suggested that some of the other female branch chairs felt they were forced out. Is that something you experienced too?
She did not respond. We called Ms Price and offered her another chance to provide a comment but part way through the conversation she shouted, “I have nothing to say,” then hung up the phone.
It comes amid a growing internal row within Reform’s Welsh branches over the lack of democrat votes to decide chairpersons.
Rows
Cllr Thomas was appointed the role of regional director for Wales by Reform chairman, Zia Yusuf, earlier this year.
It followed the departure of interim director of the party in Wales – Kirsty Walmsley who was made redundant.
A Reform insider told us that after Walmsely was ejected by the party, Cllr Thomas began dismissing branch chairs and replacing them with “interim branch chairs”.
It is understood that members had been promised a democratic vote to elect chairpersons – but after several months in the role, Cllr Thomas has yet to arrange this.
Our source said: “David will just come up with a spurious story and say ‘you’re out’. Some people resigned – but they were forced resignations.”
10 out of Reform’s 16 branch chairs in Wales have now been removed – the most high profile casualty being former Senedd Member Caroline Jones who was dismissed as chair of Reform’s Bridgend and Glamorgan branch.
We asked David Thomas a series of questions:
*Is there now no female branch chairs in Wales at all?
*Why did Julie Price step aside in Newport?
*Was there a vote to replace her or did you yourself make the decision to appoint Kevin Preston?
*Will there ever be a vote by Reform branch members to appoint chairpeople?
*Some members have told me you keep telling them there isn’t time for a vote. Why is that?
Thomas did not respond.
We reached out to him again and offered him another chance to give his side of the story – but he did not respond.
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Russian assets Gill best mate Farage is in charge of reform.
With a fair wind this company will have imploded before the Senedd election next year!
Members are mysogynists and meetings are held at golf clubs.
Well colour me surprised.
The amount of Reform UK councillors, candidates and officials either resigning , being suspended or sacked for antagonistic inappropriate or racist behaviour is truly eye-opening. These clowns expect the Welsh public to give them the keys to Wales next May’s Senedd election. In my opinion it would be like joyrider with a death wish stealing your car and recklessly riding it through the streets with no care for others but their own self gratification. That’s Reform to a tee. We need someone new, dynamic and foremost responsible at the steering wheel, not some sly egotistic political punk from England that… Read more »
Totally agree, there is a. Reform movement that is bigger than this party which has been hijacked by careerist ex Tories.
Yes, indeed. And the rotten core of Reform UK are ultra far-right Conservatives that were part of Ukip and later Brexit Party. Look no further than one Conservative cuckoo Nigel Farage. Mr party hopper. See, you can sprinkle glitter on a turd to make it look more appealing. Still a turd though. Just a sparkly one.
They should be called the “Interim” Party PLC.
Indeed, a polo mint lasts longer some of these in post representatives of a seemingly & thankfully failing plc masquerading as a political party. Take out the Major Domo & all you have left is an idea thought up by insane racists after a lock in at the local pub.
Not only is Reform UK a Limited Company that the Electoral Commission has allowed to masquerade as a political party with an undemocratically self-appointed leader in Nigel Farage, but it appears to have more than its fair share of undisciplined, unstable and unpredictable members. In spite of the overwhelming, conclusive scientific evidence of human-induced global warming that exists, Reform – aping Trump – doltishly and totally irrationally believes it’s a con/hoax. Are its members also flat-earth believers?
Actually, Reform, Conservatives and Lib Dems are all registered as companies limited by guarantee, Plaid, Labour and the Greens are all registered as unincorporated associations, Reform were a private limited company but not any longer, its all to do with the legals. https://www.restlessstories.com/news/are-uk-political-parties-registered-companies-charities#:~:text=1.,local%20parties%20operate%20this%20way.
Julie Price was employed by Nathan Gill at the Welsh Assembly (now Senedd).
Who in their right mind would vote for a far right, corrupt English Nationalist Party in Caerphilly. However bad you think things are voting for the Abolish Wales party is both stupid and treacherous in equal measure
We will see who the real patriots of Wales are come the Welsh elections ,those that vote Reform to give our Democracy away and become another Vassal of England are the real Traitors to our Nation ,as others have said on here who in their right mind are going to vote for a rich oligarchs party must be insane .
Ooh look, reform doing reform things.
They probably think that she shouldn’t have left the kitchen anyway.
Will the last Reform chairperson in Wales please switch off the light before they leave.
This reform’s lack of any response to anyone let alone the press appears to be their modus operandi. It seems that’s the way they intend to act before and during their political term in office. Residents including myself have been trying to reach out to our newly elected reform councillor in Trowbridge and St. Mellons and so far their has been deadly silence from the reform councillor and his team. Disappointingly, we have not even had a welcome message or appreciation message to his supporters on our FB page.
How many more screw-ups will it take before voters realise this party is a grifters’ circus?