What happened when a Reform UK activist canvassed a Ukrainian refugee

Martin Shipton

A Reform UK activist got more than he bargained for when he knocked on the door of a Ukrainian refugee in Caerphilly.

She was able to put him right when he made the false statement that the Welsh Government’s Nation of Sanctuary programme was only for asylum seekers.

Reform has pedalled that misleading message throughout the Senedd by-election campaign that ends on Thursday October 23, when people in the Caerphilly constituency elect a new MS to replace Labour MS Hefin David, who died suddenly in August.

‘Special visitor’

Writing on her Facebook page, Yuliia Bond, a prominent member of Caerphilly’s Ukrainian community who fled her homeland in the wake of Russia’s invasion, stated: “So, yesterday in Caerphilly, our amazing neighbour Olena, who’s originally from Ukraine, came in 2022, had a very special visitor at her door – a local canvasser from the Reform Party.

“He turns up all smiles, holding leaflets like he’s about to save democracy. ‘Good afternoon!’ he says proudly. “‘’m from the Reform Party – can we count on your support?’

“Olena, ever polite, smiles and replies: ‘Oh, really? You mean the party that wants to scrap the Nation of Sanctuary scheme that actually helped people like me when I came to Wales?’

“He looks confused. She calmly says: “’’m Ukrainian.’ ‘Oh, no – the Nation of Sanctuary programme is only for asylum seekers,’ he says confidently.

“Olena blinks. ‘Actually, no – it’s mainly for Ukrainians. 85% of the funding was used for Ukrainians. That’s literally my scheme.’

“He stammered: ‘Uh … I don’t really know about that. I think maybe we made a … petition against this scheme?’

“Olena raised an eyebrow – the kind of look only a Ukrainian mum can pull off. ‘So you’re knocking on doors,’ she says, ‘but don’t even know your own policies?’

“He laughed nervously, mumbling something about ‘just helping the campaign,’ clutching his leaflets like a life raft.

“Then Olena delivered the knockout line: ‘That’s OK. I do know – and we Ukrainians can vote in local elections now.’

“He blinked, nodded, and practically backed off the doorstep like a man retreating from battle. Pretty sure he’s still googling what his own party stands for.

“Now the neighbours are calling her Olena the Campaign Crusher of Caerphilly.

“Moral of the story? Never knock on a Ukrainian’s door unprepared – we do actually read manifestos and check the information on your leaflets.”

Strength

Yuliia Bond responded: “In just three days, the election will be over here in Caerphilly. The noise will fade, the arguments will quiet down, and life will move forward – as it always does.

“But some things will stay with me forever. What I’ll remember most is the strength of those who dared to speak up, who stood against disinformation when it would have been easier to look away. The people who refused to stay silent.

“I’m especially proud of a few local friends – people I never expected would stand with us so openly, even when it meant losing others, even when their own friends turned away. That kind of courage doesn’t make headlines, but it stays with you. It reminds you that kindness and decency still exist.

“It also takes me back to February 24 2022 – that morning when we all woke up to the sound of explosions in Ukraine. In that moment, everything changed. The people who checked if you were OK – sometimes they weren’t even your closest friends. And the ones you thought would be there – sometimes they weren’t.

“When I came here later that year, I went through some training, and a little red ‘Welcome’ sign [modelled on the Red Dragon] was given to me by a group of people who didn’t even know me. Just a small thing – but at that time, it meant everything. It said, you’re safe here, your family is safe, you belong.

“No matter what happens next, that’s what I’ll hold on to: honesty, courage and the small acts of kindness that shine through when everything feels dark. Because it’s never the loudest voices that change the world – it’s the ones brave enough to care.”