Welsh Lib Dems would not support Reform UK First Minister ‘under any circumstances’

Emily Price

The Welsh Liberal Democrats have confirmed that the party would not support Reform UK’s Dan Thomas as First Minister “under any circumstances”.

It comes after leader Jane Dodds was criticised for appearing not to rule out striking a deal with Reform after the upcoming Senedd election.

The Lib Dems are predicted to gain only 6% per cent of the vote at the May 7 election while Plaid Cymru and Reform UK are vying to be the largest party in Wales.

With the recent changes to Wales’ voting system, neither Plaid or Reform is expected to secure a majority, making some form of agreement with opposition parties necessary.

At the party’s manifesto launch in Cardiff on Tuesday (April 14) Dodds drew her party’s “red lines” in the sand.

In comments she made about Plaid Cymru, Dodds said she would not support any party that “spends money on independence”.

Pressed on whether the Lib Dems would allow Reform’s Wales leader Dan Thomas to become First Minister if Plaid refuses to drop plans to commission research into independence, Dodds did not give a direct answer.

She said: “It’s not up to us as a majority party to create a government, it is up to the majority party to go forward and to find partners if that’s what is needed in a future Welsh Government.

“We are making it really clear no right now not just with the political parties but with the Welsh public as well what are red lines are.”

Plaid lashed out at the Welsh Lib Dem leader branding her “irrelevant” and “out of touch”.

The Lib Dems hit back, accusing Plaid of have a “tantrum” and making “false claims” that implied the Welsh Lib Dems would work with Reform.

Nation.Cymru asked a spokesperson for Dodds whether she could now categorically rule out supporting a Reform UK First Minister under any circumstances.

The spokesperson confirmed that the Welsh Liberal Democrats would never support Dan Thomas as First Minister, adding that Dodds had reiterated this position on several previous occasions.

We asked why then was Dodds not firm on this when she was asked about Thomas at her party’s manifesto launch this week.

The spokesperson said that the question from BBC Wales had comes after several questions about Plaid Cymru and that Dodds had been trying to explain that Plaid would have to negotiate support with other parties – and that this support would not be unconditional.

The Welsh Liberal Democrat spokesperson said: “This is pretty desperate from Plaid Cymru. The Welsh Liberal Democrats and Jane Dodds have ruled out working with Reform multiple times over the last few weeks, including today.

“This childish tantrum from Plaid Cymru shows how arrogant they have become, believing all other parties should do their exact bidding and the election has already been decided.

“The truth is, they are frustrated that we refuse to back their policy of independence, which is overwhelmingly opposed by the majority of the Welsh population, including a high proportion of their own voters.

“If Plaid want to explain to the electorate why they plan to spend hundreds of thousands of pounds of taxpayers’ money on unpopular independence planning instead of public services, that’s up to them, but they won’t get our backing to do so.”