Tommy Robinson ally poses for photo at Reform’s Caerphilly HQ

Emily Price 

A notorious far-right extremist and Tommy Robinson ally has been photographed at the office of Reform UK’s Caerphilly by-election candidate, Llŷr Powell.

Voice of Wales co-founder Stan Robinson posed for photos in the foyer of the Reform’s Caerphilly head quarters on Cardiff Road alongside Ex-Liberal Democrat MP, now Nigel Farage supporter, Lembit Öpik.

Stan Robinson posted the image to X on Saturday (October 4) with the caption: “Just a quiet night in Caerphilly and was accosted @VoWalesOfficial @lembitopik.”

It is unclear whether Powell had invited Stan Robinson to his office himself or what the nature of the visit was.

Scam

Stan Robinson is one of Wales’ most notorious far-right activists having co-founded the purported media outlet, Voice of Wales, alongside convicted fraudster Dan Morgan.

Morgan was handed a suspended sentence in 2023 for his role in a large-scale scam that stole millions from people who believed they were applying for compensation for mis-sold PPI.

Many of the victims who were duped into paying £550 were elderly and vulnerable.

Stan Robinson and Dan Morgan are associates of one of the UK’s most prominent anti-Islam activists, Stephen Yaxley-Lennon – better known as Tommy Robinson.

Voice of Wales have taken part in several Tommy Robinson protests over the years and have provided support and coverage for demonstrations against asylum accommodation.

Stan Robinson’s current banner image on X is himself with his arm around the former English Defence League leader who was previously jailed for contempt of court.

Banned

Voice of Wales played a prominent role in the 2023 demonstrations at the Stradey Park Hotel in Llanelli, regularly reporting from the protest encampment in the town and accosting politicians and councillors on the demonstrators’ behalf.

During the racist riots of 2024, the group promoted a far-right protest outside the Senedd and in the aftermath joined others across the far-right in pushing the “two-tier policing” narrative – a term used to suggest that police have been more heavy handed with people on the right of the political spectrum than the left.

Voice of Wales was condemned by several political parties in 2021 when they had their YouTube channel banned after it was labelled “racist” and accused of expressing “foul” and “unacceptable” language and ideas.

Stan Robinson was selected as the UKIP candidate for Llanelli for the 2024 general election but came last with a 1.5% vote share. He left the party amid an internal row in August.

In recent years he has made repeated outrageous statements such as advocating that the TV journalist Adam Boulton should be castrated with a rusty blade.

The day after Stan Robinson posed for a photo in Reform’s Caerphilly office, his group announced the launch of new banners displaying slogans such as, “There is no climate emergency”, “Britain is a Christian nation” and “When the talking stops, violence ensues”.

The Voice of Wales Facebook page has been endorsing Reform’s Llŷr Powell who hopes to win the Caerphilly Senedd seat from Labour on October 23.

We contacted Mr Powell and asked him the following questions:

*Why was Stan Robinson at your Caerphilly office?

*Did you invite Stan Robinson to the office yourself?

*Are yourself and Stan Robinson friends?

*Does Stan Robinson have a Reform membership?

*Has Stan Robinson been helping you with your campaign in Caerphilly?

Powell did not respond.

Russia

The high profile by-election candidate has come under scrutiny from opposition parties in recent days for having worked for disgraced Reform politician Nathan Gill who recently pled guilty to taking Russian bribes.

Powell worked as a constituency caseworker for Gill when he was a Member of the European Parliament. He has categorically denied any knowledge of Gill’s wrongdoing.

Welsh Labour says that Reform UK has “serious questions to answer”.

A party spokesperson said: “This reveals what’s at the heart of Reform UK. They pretend to stand for the people, but scratch the surface and you see the truth – associating with far-right activists and accepting Russian bribes.

“Reform UK have serious questions to answer.

“Racism has no place in our society. The fact that Reform UK is allowing this man to be involved in their campaign is further proof of the disdain with which they hold voters in Caerphilly.

“Welsh Labour will continue to stand up for the people of Caerphilly to keep these people out.”

‘Extremists’

Plaid Cymru called on Llŷr Powell to distance himself from the far-right.

A spokesperson said: “If it’s not convicted criminals, it’s far-right extremists – Reform UK certainly has a habit of surrounding themselves with people like this.

“The party and their candidate, Llŷr Powell, must immediately distance themselves from such dangerous figures. Any failure to do so means they are effectively endorsing hate and division in our communities.

“The people of Caerphilly, and the people of Wales, deserve a party that protects communities rather than enables extremists, and in this by-election only Plaid Cymru can stop Reform.”

Labour Senedd Member Mick Antoniw accused Reform UK of becoming “a front organisation for extreme far-right groups and individuals”.

He said: “Voice of Wales is a extreme far-right racist group holding secret and closed meetings around Wales which has clearer fascist and racist links

“It is more threatening. It is clear it is supporting Reform and very worryingly is infiltrating Reform which masks its darker and more dangerous politics.”

‘Scandal’

A spokesperson from the Liberal Democrats said: “Reform are attracting a collection of yesterdays politicians and those who operate on blame and self interest.

“Nigel Farage cannot be serious about tackling the problems Wales faces while welcoming people like Lembit Öpik and Stan Robinson into his campaign.”

Conservative candidate for the Caerphilly by-election, Gareth Potter, said: “Not a single day goes by when Reform isn’t getting embroiled in a scandal, from its former Wales Leader taking bribes in exchange for making pro-Russian questions to this latest farce.

“It’s clear only the Welsh Conservatives can – and will – deliver for the people of Caerphilly and finally fix Wales.”

It comes after an image that appeared to have been edited was posted to Powell’s social media at the weekend.

Questions were raised about whether someone had been photoshopped out of the image.

The photo of the group of Reform campaigners canvassing in Caerphilly appeared distorted with some faces stretched and a large blurry mass near the the head of the party’s only Senedd Member, Laura Anne Jones.

We asked Jones if the photo had been altered in any way. She told Nation.Cymru she did not know but that the phone the image was taken on had been “playing up” at the time the photo was taken.