Reform Wales leader appoints disgraced Nazi salute candidate as special adviser

Emily Price 

Reform’s Welsh leader Dan Thomas has appointed a former Senedd election candidate, who resigned after an image emerged showing him performing a Nazi salute, as his special adviser.

Several Senedd sources told Nation.Cymru that former Pen-y-bont Bro Morgannwg election candidate Corey Edwards was seen “wandering around” Wales’ Parliament this week.

A screenshot seen by Nation.Cymru shows Edwards is listed on the Senedd’s internal system as a “special adviser” in the office of Dan Thomas.

Edwards – a former Tory special advisor to the Secretary of State for Wales – was announced as Reform’s lead candidate in Bridgend and the Vale of Glamorgan in March.

He withdrew from race days later after Nation.Cymru published a photograph showing him with his finger placed above his upper lip and his arm raised in the air.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage defended Edwards saying the Senedd candidate was imitating Basil Fawlty, while Edwards himself said he had been imitating a footballer.

Video footage later emerged of Edwards filming himself whilst driving a car and drinking from a bottle of Bud Light beer.

After withdrawing from the Senedd election citing mental health struggles, Edwards went on to campaign in Swansea for Gŵyr Abertawe Senedd Member Francesca O’Brien.

‘Vile actions’

The Welsh Liberal Democrats said Edwards’ participation in canvassing showed that Reform fails to take action against those found to have carried out “vile actions”.

Edwards said he had made mistakes in the past, but has since turned his life around.

In a video posted to X, he said: “I left school at 16 with no job lined up. I didn’t see many opportunities for people like me in the world – and I would fool around trying to get attention, trying to feel some love and trying to feel some value.

“I’ve since turned my life around – I’ve gone on to work for three Prime Ministers in the heart of government.

“This things I did way back when don’t reflect who I am today. I did lose my way and found myself in difficult times.”

During the Senedd election campaign, further offensive social media posts and images of Edwards were unearthed by Nation.Cymru.

‘Troubled past’

Former colleagues described him as “racist and sexist” who had a “troubled past” involving “alcohol, sex and erratic behaviour”.

In a now deleted social media post published in 2014, Edwards said that “dirty” Romanians were exploiting the UK’s flawed benefits system.

In a post published when he was 25-years-old, he used a term which relates to the Nazi claim that Nazi Germany was the successor to the Holy Roman Empire.

In another post to X when Edwards was 22-years-old, he described his sister as a “stupid slut”.

Nation.Cymru was also sent an image of Edwards which appeared to have been taken at a public festival showing him holding a handwritten sign daubed with the words, “I am not a cunt”.

Nation.Cymru asked Dan Thomas the following questions:

*Why is it you feel Corey Edwards is the best person to advise you?

*Do you have any concerns about Corey’s previous behaviour, including the video footage of him driving whilst drinking beer?

*Was this role handed to Corey as a consolation for stepping down as a Reform candidate in the recent election?

*Are you at all worried that Corey’s employment with you could damage your reputation?

Reform’s leader in Wales did not respond.

‘True colours’

A Plaid Cymru source said: “Rewarding someone who had to resign after making a Nazi salute will raise eyebrows.

“Once again, Reform have shown their true colours. It’s no wonder the people of Wales decidedly chose hope with Plaid Cymru over Reform’s division.”

A spokesperson for Welsh Liberal Democrat leader Jane Dodds said: “Reform themselves recognised that Corey Edwards was an inappropriate candidate and removed him from their list.

“You would hope that same judgement would extend to who they appoint as staff.

“The Senedd has clear standards of conduct expected of all those who work within it, and we would hope those standards are upheld.”

A Labour source said: “This is yet another instance where you really do have to question the judgement of those running Reform UK.

“Corey Edwards stepped back from running as a candidate as he knew he wasn’t fit for the role. Why should he be fit to be an advisor?”

Edward’s LinkedIn states that he worked for former Welsh Secretary David TC Davies between November 2022 and October 2023, although it is understood he left the Wales Office in February 2023.

Edward’ s LinkedIn also states that prior to this, he held a number of other roles in Westminster including as a special advisor to His Majesty’s Attorney General for three months in 2022 and as special advisor in the cabinet office for seven months.

More recently he worked as the head of political relations for First Bus but quit the role in February because he intended to stand as a candidate for Reform at the May election.