Welsh Reform branch regrets ‘unacceptable’ group chat messages

Emily Price 

A Reform Wales branch chair has said he regrets the “unacceptable” false allegations and jokes about violence that were circulated in the board’s group chat.

Concerns were raised this week about the party’s links to a far-right group when a disgruntled member published screen grabs online from Reform’s Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire internal WhatsApp group chat.

The messages revealed jokes about slapping Conservative Senedd Member Sam Kurtz.

Further messages revealed some members of the group spreading smears about Stand Up to Racism campaigner, Patrick Connellan.

False allegations that the anti-fascism campaigner had assaulted a child after his megaphone was stolen at a Reform event in Carmarthen had been circulated online by far-right group, Voice of Wales.

Smears

A Voice of Wales post which included the false allegations about Connellan was shared in Reform’s west Wales branch group chat.

One board member put a heart emoji on the post. Another appeared to back up the far right group’s untrue claims and told the chat he would pass the Voice of Wales post on to the Welsh press in the hopes the allegations would be published.

Mr Connellan told Nation.Cymru that the smears being circulated about him were “completely false”.

Dyfed Powys Police later confirmed that no assault was reported at Reform’s event in Caramarthen in connection to a child being punched after a megaphone was stolen.

Mr Connellan warned that the relationship between Reform’s representatives in Wales and Voice of Wales had become “frighteningly close”.

The extremist group is led by convicted fraudster Dan Morgan and has links with prominent far-right activists, including Stephen Lennon – also known as Tommy Robinson.

‘Inappropriate’

Interim Branch Chair for Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire Reform Stewart Marchant strenuously denied Reform in west Wales having any relationship with Voice of Wales and said the messages in the chat didn’t reflect the standards expected of members.

In a statement, Mr Marchant said: “The messages referred to came from a casual WhatsApp group used by some local members. It is not an official party communications tool, nor does it represent Reform policy or values.

“Reform UK Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire has no relationship with Voice of Wales and does not endorse or engage with them or any extremist groups.

“Where inaccurate or inappropriate material has been circulated by individuals, it is being dealt with under our code of conduct.

“We are clear that false allegations are unacceptable, and jokes about violence against elected representatives are wrong.

“They do not reflect the standards expected of our members, and we regret that they were ever made.

“Reform West Wales is focused on the real issues affecting people in our communities — the NHS crisis, pressures on farming and fishing, and the cost of living — not the grievances of a former member who chose to leave the party.”

Row

The screen grabs of the branch group chat were posted online by disgruntled former Reform Senedd hopeful, Ajay Owen.

He left the party last week amid a blazing row over allegations of a “rigged” selection process and the “mistreatment” of members.

It came after an argument broke out in the group chat over a news article Owen had appeared in alongside Voice of Wales co-founder, Dan Morgan.

Morgan and Owen had both circulated material online alleging that children at a Pembrokeshire school had been encouraged to write Valentine cards to adult asylum seekers.

The Schools of Sanctuary charity disputed this saying pupils had written short anonymous messages such as “welcome to our town” – some of which were displayed in local refugee support groups.

Text messages seen by Nation.Cymru show Reform’s Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion Branch Chair telling board members the news article was “very embarrassing”.

During another text message exchange, Marchant branded Owen a “keyboard warrior” and a “rogue risk” that had brought Reform UK into “disrepute”.

Owen was later blocked from the branch group chat. The row triggered his exit from Reform in west Wales.