Welsh Reform councillor admits making up malicious rumours about Farage

Emily Price

A Welsh Reform councillor has admitted spreading malicious rumours about Nigel Farage in the hope it would be picked up by the press. 

Last month, Nation.Cymru was made aware of a story circulating among some politicians about a bizarre event that allegedly took place in May on the day Reform UK won the Runcorn and Helsby by-election. 

We were told that Torfaen Councillor Stewart Keyte – who campaigned in Runcorn on polling day – had spread a rumour to two different political parties that a young Reform supporter was driven around in the boot of Nigel Farage’s car.

‘Funny’

A senior politician told us: “Stuart Keyte was laughing when he told me this story as if it were funny and not serious.

“He said that a young Reform supporter was disappointed he couldn’t join in with the door knocking alongside Farage because there wasn’t room in the car.

“Stuart told me that it was decided the young lad could travel in the boot instead.”

The source added: “Stuart said Nigel Farage was travelling in the passenger seat of the car along with a number of Reform staffers, security and a driver.

“He told me it was the day of the Runcorn by-election and that when Farage and his entourage arrived at their destination they actually forgot the young boy was in the boot and only remembered when he called them via mobile phone.”

‘Untrue’

Another senior politician from a different party later confirmed to Nation.Cymru that Stuart Keyte had told them “precisely” the same story.

A Reform UK source appeared to inadvertently confirm Keyte had spread this rumour when we approached them for details. 

We asked the source if they were aware that Keyte had told other politicians that a young Reform supporter had travelled in the boot of Farage’s car. 

We did not tell the source the names of any of the people Kyte had told. 

Although the source claimed the story was untrue – they were able to identify the name of one of politicians Stuart had told.

We asked how they were able to name one of people Kyte had told if the conversation never took place – but the source did not respond.

Nation.Cymru also spoke to another senior Reform UK source about the claims being made by Keyte – they described the Torfaen councillor as a “clown” who was “damaging the party”.

We contacted Reform UK and asked them if they had allowed a young supporter to travel in the boot of Farage’s car in May.

A spokesperson said: “This is categorically untrue.”

Smear

We contacted Stuart Keyte – who we understand has ambitions to stand in next year’s Senedd elections – and asked why he had been smearing the leader of his own party. 

The Torfaen councillor admitted spreading a “fairy tale” – but claimed he did so because he wanted to see if the story would make it back to Nation.Cymru. 

We asked Keyte why he would want to deliberately spread lies about his own leader when Reform UK was riding high in the polls.

We pointed out that the allegations he had spread about the youngster in the boot of the car could have not only damaged Farage’s reputation, but also could have resulted in criminal action if proven true.

Keyte responded saying the version of the story that had been relayed to us was “inaccurate” because “at no time” did he mention that he was in a car with Nigel Farage.

We pointed out that neither source had suggested that he was.