Row breaks out within Reform UK over immigration stance in Wales

Emily Price
A row has broken out within Reform UK over its stance on immigration after the group’s Welsh spokesperson made several comments that appeared to contradict the party’s stance.
In an interview with BBC Politics at the weekend, Oliver Lewis said Wales had “limited levels of immigration” which had been “arguably very positive for the economy”.
The clip was shared by the leader of the opposition in the Senedd, Darren Millar, who said immigration had been “too high” resulting in consequences for all parts of the UK – including Wales.
Sharing the interview to X, Mr Millar said: “It’s a shame that not all politicians, including Reform’s Wales spokesperson, seem to understand this.”
Spat
Reform UK – which is led by Clacton MP, Nigel Farage – has a net zero immigration stance.
The party’s policy pledges include a freeze on immigration, detention for asylum seekers that come to the UK illegally and immediate deportation for foreign criminals.
Reform currently has no Senedd members but hopes to form a new government in Wales at the 2026 election.
Backbench Tory MS Andrew RT Davies hit out at Reform on X, branding Mr Lewis “out of touch” in a post which sparked a social media spat between the pair.
Using an X account with the name, ‘UK public policy failure’ Mr Lewis said the Senedd Tories had “selectively quoted” him from the BBC Politics interview.
In a response to Andrew RT Davies, he wrote: “I just think it’s hilarious that a Tory member of a devolved assembly is criticising an (out of context) comment around the statistically accurate fact that Wales has lower immigration than England – given his party’s record on the issue!”
‘Year 8’
The Reform figure later said that the online row with the Tories was like “debating with year 8” adding that “voters want clarity, not fog.”
Sharing images of graphs to X, he said: “The data does not lie – Wales has statistically far lower levels of immigration”.
But Reform UK’s Chairman, Zia Yusuf, appeared to contradict Mr Lewis when he waded into the social media row saying the Welsh spokesperson’s comments were “not the Reform position”.
The Welsh Conservatives have since hit back, saying Mr Lewis had “made the position of Reform UK clear”.
A spokesperson for the Senedd group said: “Only the Welsh Conservatives will stand on the side of people with concerns about the levels of immigration into Wales.”
Oliver Lewis told Nation.Cymru he did not wish to comment on the matter.
A Reform UK Wales Spokesman said: “Reform UK Wales’ stance on immigration is clear. We are the only party that is promising to have net zero immigration, leave the ECHR and turn back the boats.
“Reform UK Wales understands the negative impact mass immigration has had on Wales from housing to public services.
“Whilst Labour and the Tories have failed Wales in both Westminster and Cardiff Bay, Reform UK will bring real change to Wales. Wales is broken, Wales needs Reform.”
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Wait until they work out the mass immigration is not from beyond our sea borders. Reform are an English fascist party, we don’t mandate the right. Our views are uniquely Welsh luckily.
Exactly! The hugh “Jerusalem”trumpeting Elephant in the room that gets conveniently ignored by all our politicians.
‘Mass English immigration’ has had the most detrimental effect on Welsh society. These immigrant don’t arrive on small boats but in large cars with hefty cheque books, buy houses as investments tearing the heart out of our communities undermining our culture and language, retirees who place enormous pressure on our NHS having contributed anything to our economy, and let’s not forget those English immigrants who move here and take our social housing, putting pressure on our already over whelmed services.
Interestingly enough, I’ve never had any abuse for speaking Welsh by immigrants from elsewhere, but on every occasion it has been from english people.
For what it’s worth, I’m an Englishman buying their first home in Wales, and that’s because it’s in affordable town (as compared with the situation in my hometown, being a very pricy city) which is well situated for a person who doesn’t drive and can WFH. For years my parents & I came to Wales, each year booking cottages in villages, then going for hikes around the Bannau Brycheiniog & the Black Mountains, and I’ve always preferred this kind of self-catering & exercise to going to hot countries. And sure it was mostly a place to ramble and enjoy a… Read more »
‘It’s comments like this that make me anxious …’ I don’t think that you should be. I first came to live in Wales as a student way back in 1964, for no other reason than that a Welsh university gave me my best offer. Back then I’d no particular intention to stay on and live in Wales. But as things panned out, I did stay on here and settled, and I always felt accepted and welcome. I was here for twenty years until I moved back to England’s north-west for family reasons. But when those reasons ceased to apply, I… Read more »
I appreciate your kind words John. What areas of Wales have you lived in, if I might ask? The truth is I’ve visited, and I’ve always had cordial and pleasant experiences, but you hear a lot of stories (some are probably made up) and see comments like the one I responded to, and think you might have a hard time if people make assumptions simply because of where you’re born. It’s why I think making an effort and assimiliating is so important, to offer your best to a new place. Since making this comment and reflected, and did some research,… Read more »
I started off in the mid-1960s as a student in in Ceredigion, and thereafter moved to work in north Gwent – though it was still Monmouthshire back then – and thereafter to north Radnorshire, then to the east end of Newport, and finally up the ‘western valley’ of the Ebbw. Now, at the ancient age of 79, I’m in Denbighshire. So I’ve lived in rather a lot of different parts of Wales over the years. And in all those places where I’ve lived the experience has been overwhelmingly positive. But one thing which I learned – initially rather too slowly!… Read more »
That would mean you’ve lived in each region then: Southwest, Southeast, Mid and North!
My planned move is to Ebbw Vale so perhaps not far from where you once lived.
I’ll take your words to heart and I’m sure all will be well.
Enjoy the rest of your week 🙂
The nearest places to Ebbw Vale where I used to live, back in the ’70s and the ’80s, was east of there in posh Abergavenny, and further down the Ebbw valley valley, in Risca. I’m sure you’ll do OK in Wales, just as I’ve always found that I’ve done – sounds like you’ve got the right positive attitude! Glyn Ebwy‘s a friendly place, and noticeably renovated since I knew it – considerably through EU regional development money, though that didn’t stop the locals from voting resoundingly for Brexit! As you’ll know, it’s now had its rail service restored, and there’s… Read more »
I’m familiar with Abergavenny, have popped in there on holidays over the years, it is quite nice! I’m planning to explore the general area, there’s a walk called the Ebbw Fach Trail which starts in Beaufort (just North of Ebbw Vale) and goes down to Llanhilleth, passing through Brynmawr, Blaina, Six Bells, and Abertillery. So if I do end up doing it, it’s a bus up the hill then a 12 mile walk I can get the train back up. Will probably do a little bit at a time, stopping along the way, and walk further and further each time.… Read more »
I left Risca back in 1984 – to return to Manchester for family reasons, as I’ve said elsewhere – and I suspect that Tiny Rebel wasn’t in existence back then. If it was, I certainly never heard about it. But I well remember Clydach, which in my day in that area was on the bus routes between Abergavenny and both Ebbw Vale and Tredegar. It’s also worth climbing the nearby Blorenge – if you’ve got the energy! – because from its dizzy heights you can get a panoramic view of the Heads of the Valley A465 road way down below.… Read more »
The popularity of craft beer is relatively recent, Tiny Rebel was founded in 2012, and really a lot of my interest in breweries and pubs is as a CAMRA member, since it gives me a chance to explore and make something productive about it. The bus route you’re referring to still exists =) Since I don’t drive I will rely on buses a lot. Will add Blorenge to my growing list of ‘to-dos’. I personally prefer the cold weather so I’ll probably so a lot of my walking in the colder seasons 🙂 You’re quite right with Cadw. It’s just… Read more »
I’ve never been a lover of beers, so the growth of the craft beer movement’s rather passed me by. Wines and spirits for me, though I don’t care for whisky! I too didn’t drive during my time in Abergavenny, so I used the buses quite a bit. Back 1970ish, you could buy, on the bus, a ‘Day Out’ ticket for a mere 50p which entitled you to ride almost any bus from Gloucester and Hereford way into southern Wales. One of my favourites was going up to Brecon, then across to Hereford, via Hay, Peterchurch and the ‘Golden Valley’. Back… Read more »
That’s understandable. For me wine has been an issue of all the bottles looking the same to me, and not being able to get through a whole bottle by myself 🙂 You can still get these sort of tickets with StageCoach called ‘South Wales All Zones DayRider’ or ‘Day NetworkRider’ depending on if you need multiple operators or not for £9.50 It covers a pretty substantial area from Porthcawl & Chepstow and goes as far North as Hay-on-Wye, and that would include all the places you mentioned. Peterschurch is interesting because there is a gravestone there, noticeable because it is… Read more »
‘You can still get these sort of tickets with StageCoach called ‘South Wales All Zones DayRider’ or ‘Day NetworkRider’ depending on if you need multiple operators or not for £9.50′ That’s a lot more expensive than the 50p of my younger days, isn’t it. Just shows how inflation has ravaged us all over the years! As to burials, the church for a very long while viewed suicide as a major sin – the maxim being that you shouldn’t arbitrarily and on your own volition end the life which the Lord gave you. And in consequence there were penalties around the… Read more »
All that is entirely to your credit.
The sad truth is that your attitude to Wales is not the universal attitude of incomers from over the border. You’ve come with an appreciation of culture and community which will find you a very warm welcome wherever you end up moving to. I’ve met people from all sorts of countries and cultures that have been welcomed into Welsh communities because they didn’t arrive like missionaries attempting to civilise the natives!! 🙂 You are making a home and a life here, having made lots of previous visits and with an understanding of the place you are moving to. You actually… Read more »
Heya Zara – first of all thank you for writing this comment, there’s a lot in here to think about and respond to! You’re absolutely right that that it is not the universal attitude, what I am going to coin as being assimilation-affirmative, I would go as far to say that it may well be uncommon. It’s a challenge with immigration in general that people are not as curious & respectful of a native culture as they should be, and since writing my comment and looking it up, to find out that 21% of people living in Wales today were… Read more »
So….. English immigrants ‘Take our social housing?’ Where do foreign immigrants live, then? Do they not ‘put pressure on our already overwhelmed services’ too? A touch of bigotry, methinks!
Yes, and unfortunately too many Welsh nationalists, of whom I am one, complain about English immigration destroying Welsh culture and identity, wishing to see it severely curtailed (or reversed), yet think that the English themselves should accept without complaint the levels of immigration their communities have experienced over the past 4 decades. And any nationalist who thinks that this uncontrolled, mass immigration into England won’t have knock-on effects on Wales, then they’re living in cloud cuckoo land.
Immigration into the UK has been politicised by right wing media. The same media outlets used the same rhetoric to demonise Jewish immigrants in the early part of the 20th Century. Plus the Windrish generation who helped rebuild the UK after WW2. Net migration was around 750,000 when Boris Johnson was PM despite Boris’s promise to bring it down to zero. Around 150,000 people have crossed the channel in small votes and if you want to blame anyone blame those who wanted to rip up the Dublin agreement when being part of the EU. When it comes to taking in… Read more »
When it comes to taking in refugees and asylum seekers GB isn’t in the top 40 on the world stage
Well, if we are very lucky, a bit more of this “Mass immigration” and our NHS won’t collapse completely. Last time I was in hospital the ward had a large selection of staff from India covering a variety of roles such as cleaning, catering, Health Care Assistants and the ever-necessary nurses. As I was in for nearly 6 weeks I got to watch some of them go through their re-accreditation because, although they were fully qualified nurses in India, we took them on as HCAs and got them to re-qualify to be certain that they were capable of the same… Read more »
The English Incomer population of Cymru is 21% out of a small population of around 3 million people.Compared to just 6% from outside the UK and out of that number less than 1% are refugees or asylum seekers.
Stop confusing the right wingers with your evidence and facts!!
Surely you can spout some click bate phrases rather than just telling people the truth!!!
😉
That’s why I’m against uncontrolled, mass immigration wherever it’s from – whether from over the border or further afield. It’s destroyed Wales and it’s destroying England.
It’s always surprised me that Plaid are all for the ‘Million Speakers of the Welsh language’ project yet are super-keen to import folk who have little or no grasp on the English language! Best of luck with that!
Do most incomers into the Welsh speaking heartland who have a grasp of English have any desire to increase the numbers to one million.On face value far from it
And this is such a great pity.
People coming into the country should learn the language out of respect, and to properly assimilate.
And people in the country itself should learn it for posterity & pride of their heritage.
This is the kind of bust up you get at around 1015pm in Witherspoons.
..or when 2 bald guys start squabbling over a hair brush !
It’s Wetherspoons and you’ve obviously never been in one of their pubs or you’d be aware of that.
It’s Wetherspoons, not Witherspoons. You’ve obviously never been in one or you’d know that.
I watched that interview on BBC Wales at the weekend and was, to my surprise, quite impressed with Oliver Lewis – he came over as a comparatively rational, calm and considered political spokesman with a focus on the distinctive circumstances which apply in Wales and a handle on the things that are different here this side of Clawdd Offa. A perceptible contrast from the usual English nationalist frothing ghouls and blathering crazies who more usually come out to speak for that party. So maybe it’s no real surprise that he’s now being condemned to a spell on their their naughty… Read more »
Yes. Unfortunately being comparatively rational and nuanced will probably mean the end for Oliver Lewis.
You know the ‘English nationalist frothing ghouls and blathering crazies’ you refer to? Oliver Lewis is one of them. Do not be taken in by his blather.
I don’t know him, and I’ve only seen him interviewed, very briefly, once before. I gather he stood for the Montgomery seat back in July, so maybe that’s where he lives. My point was simply that, if for now he continues as the media ‘face’ of Reform in Wales, his more suave and polished political style may well appeal to right-leaning voters who could otherwise be deterred by the routine gross speech of numerous other Reform politicians. I think that we’d be unwise to underestimate the potential appeal of Reform in the forthcoming Senedd elections. Maybe I ought to hope… Read more »
Personally I’m terrified whenever I hear one of them twist the nasty, nationalist argument into something that sounds rational and about protecting our precious resources etc. – I know it’s absolutely the lowest line in any internet argument to make the comparison I’m about to make but…..it is an indisputable fact that a certain angry Austrian once managed to take over an entire nation by telling them that he cared more about the country than anyone else and he was going to protect it from all the people who were dragging this beautiful country down…..then he started listing the bad… Read more »
I don’t think that comparison is inept.
The Welsh Conservatives spokesperson for the Senedd group said: “Only the Welsh Conservatives will stand on the side of people with concerns about the levels of immigration into Wales”. If I’m to take this statement literally it sounds like the Tories have issues with English immigration into Wales.
A spat between two anti Welsh entities which work expressly against the interests of our country and its’ people One positive to glean from it is that we now hear the term ‘Reform UK Wales’, a desperate attempt to con Welsh voters that they have a wing dedicated to us but at least it is a full recognition of our country. Shot in foot 1. Oliver Lewis has pushed another con about immigration levels here as though we have any say over the matter and if he thinks we do, he’s just paid our Labour government a compliment for its’… Read more »
And there you have it. Reform are pretty pointless in Wales.
Theres no place for their vile party, no place for their awful policies and certainly no place for their voters here. Ironic that they rant about people coming over and not respecting our ways, but they’re completely happy to bring their fascist filth from their country to ours.
Rats fighting in a sack springs to mind
Ho what fun. Let’s see what else crawls out of the woodwork when the gloves come off.
The majority of immigrants in Wales are English born – something like 20% of the population. What is Reform’s plan to deal with those immigrants?
Also, why are Reform running an anti-immigrants campaign, when the Senedd has no immigration powers? What is reform planning to do with the powers and responsibilities that the Senedd actually have, because it sounds like they are just going to use their platform in Wales to lob grenades at the UK government.
Let’s not forget there were almost no small boat crossings before we left the Dublin deterrent because Brexit Party wanted a rock hard Brexit and the Cons gave in to them.