Welsh Labour turns up the heat on Reform Caerphilly candidate over party’s Russia links
Emily Price
Welsh Labour have turned up to heat on Reform’s Caerphilly candidate over the party’s links to Russia.
Llyr Powell broke his silence on Thursday (October 2) when he was quizzed on what he knew about his former boss Nathan Gill taking cash in return for making pro-Russian statements in the European Parliament.
He strongly condemned Reform’s former Welsh leader, who pleaded guilty to eight counts of bribery, and insisted he had no knowledge of Gill’s activities.
Powell’s political opponents, including Wales’ First Minister Eluned Morgan, have expressed national security concerns following Gill’s confession.
Legal letter
Discussing a Welsh Labour X post branding Powell a “Lliar”, he told ITV’s Rob Osborne that his by-election campaign hadn’t been easy adding that he had faced death threats and assaults.
Labour’s social media post was later deleted after Reform UK issued the party with a legal letter.
Despite this, Welsh Labour have continued to publish messages about Powell online.
A post to X published on Friday featured an image of Powell and Russia’s president with the caption, “Did Putin’s pounds pay for Powell?”
A Welsh Labour spokesperson said: “It is a matter of public record that Reform UK’s former Welsh Leader Nathan Gill has admitted to taking bribes to speak in favour of Russia whilst being a Member of the European Parliament.
“Whilst we have removed the social media posts on request from Reform UK, questions remain as to why Reform UK chose a spokesperson for Russia to be their Welsh leader.
“Welsh Labour will not stop asking these questions. The people of Caerphilly and of Wales deserve to know whose interests Reform UK truly stand for.”
This post was later deleted also.
‘Russia problem’
Labour Senedd Member for Blaenau Gwent, Alun Davies, says his party is “absolutely right” to continue asking questions.
He said: “We know that Farage admires Putin, was a regular contributor to Putin’s Russia Today TV and has spoken in support of Russia’s position on Ukraine.
“Now their former leader in Wales has pleaded guilty to taking bribes from Russia. It’s time they came clean about their links to Putin.”
Former Welsh minister, Mick Antoniw, says Reform in Wales and the wider UK has a “serious Russia problem”.
He said: “I have no idea what Llyr Powell’s engagement was with Nathan Gill. Obviously he denies all knowledge.
“But people like Nigel Farage and Gill and others in senior positions have been repeating Putin’s messaging which is a very anti-European message and a very anti-western message.
“There are still questions to be asked about when Gill was a member of the Senedd – was he doing anything that was on the basis of money from Russia?
“Was he using his time in the Senedd to actually promote Russian activity?
“Reform seems to have gone very quiet on the Russia question. They don’t answer any questions – they don’t like scrutiny.”
Attacked
Mr Antoniw – who is of Ukrainian decent and has travelled to the front line several times to deliver aid – said Powell should condemn his party’s links to Putin.
He said: “It would be helpful if Llyr Powell called on his own party to condemn their association with Russia and give his complete support to the people of Ukraine.
“But the problem is, he can’t do that while he’s attacking the Nation of Sanctuary policy – the very vehicle by which Ukrainians were able to come and settle with Wales on temporary visas.”
Both the Welsh Conservatives and Reform UK have pledged to ditch the policy if they win the next Senedd election.
Around £54,880,000 has been spent on the Nation of Sanctuary initiative – with at least £45,475,000 of this related to supporting Ukrainian arrivals to Wales.
‘Race card’
Mr Antoniw says the Welsh Conservatives and Reform are using the policy “as a race card to scavenge votes and put out misinformation”.
He said: “Nation of Sanctuary has nothing to do with attracting people to Wales, but it is about if people come to Wales we have an obligation to treat them decently like human beings.
“The money is not money that is spent every year – it’s money that was spread out over five years and was upfront because of the immediate invasion of Russia in Ukraine.
“At the time everyone supported that we had to do something to help the people that were fleeing from bombs.
“When Reform are attacking the Nation of Sanctuary policy, they are attacking the very means by which some Ukrainian people have been able to flee.”
He added: “Reform’s campaign message also undermines and attacks the British soldiers that have fought in Ukraine – some of whom have been captured and tortured and had death sentences imposed upon them.
“Put that within the context of Nathan Gill making speeches for Russian money, Farage doing regular interviews on Russia Today – a Kremlin controlled media channel – and it becomes a serious issue.
“The money that is paid for people doing those interviews comes directly from the Russian government.”
“The bigger question isn’t about Reform’s Caerphilly candidate – it’s more broadly about the leadership of Reform and the fact the party is putting out pro-Putin messaging and has received money from Russia in one form or another.
“There are some very serious questions about the ethics of elected representatives and also about national security.
“It’s not acceptable for a political party to go quiet when these sort of issues are raised.”
Recent Welsh polls have suggested Reform has a chance of being the largest party at the 2026 Senedd election.
Mr Antoniw warned that there could be some “serious security issues” if there was significant Reform representation in the Senedd next year.
He said: “There are certainly some clear security guidelines that would need to be established in terms of what Senedd Members can do.
“I think that would also be the case if there was a general election and Reform formed part of a government.
“This is an area that probably needs to be reviewed and scrutinised – but it’s not helped when Reform go quiet on this issue when they have a problem of association.”
Reform UK was invited to comment but did not respond.
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Why is Welsh Labour still on X, run and owned by a known fascist that has made public threats to the UK’s prime minister and has openly supported far right groups and political groups in the UK & Wales. Blue sky is where it’s at.
Labour can’t gift Reform a free platform with a huge reach to spin their candy floss unchallenged
I think you underestimate the power of a slogan like” Wales is Broken Wales needs Reform taking root .”
Caerphilly is going to get overrun with migrants when it has the lowest number in Wales
Reform UK Llŷr Powell must answer this question. As a close colleague and confidant of Nathan Gill, how on earth didn’t he witness his shady dealings in the EU Parliament and not alert anyone to his suspicious activities? Was his ears blocked with wax and his eyes glued closed with sleep? It’s ridiculous that he saw and heard nothing untoward? As a would-be Senedd candidate expect him to serve his constituents and country, not the Kremlin and KGB.
Farage constantly runs this Country down, spends very little time in it except when he is doing his’one of the lads ‘ impressions, he is a privately educated ex banker millionaire who talks of replacing the NHS with a insurance based American type system. And job security and pension rights should not be a given .Anyone swallowing his happy chappy act is in for a rude awakening.if he ever gets anywhere near power, He aspires to be Trump. mark two!
Is Mr Powell upset at what Gill said in the EU or how that was led to? That is what Gill did is obviously bad, but at the time did he call out the words, until Gill was found out, Mr Power was happy with his party commentary in the EU? Bigging up Russia. The country invading Ukraine.
Running scared