REFORM UK sprang the first surprise of the 2026 Senedd election campaign when they unveiled a Gwent born, former London councillor as its leader in Wales.

Nigel Farage was met with a loud applause from some 400 party members at the ICC convention centre at the Celtic Manor hotel in Newport for a rally where it was widely expected he would announce his pick to lead the party into the Senedd elections.

After former Conservative Senedd Member James Evans, recently thrown out of the party over defection speculation, was unveiled as a new recruit Mr Farage was able to announce the party’s leader in Wales would be former Barnet council leader, Dan Thomas.

While it was made clear Mr Thomas had been a council leader, it wasn’t explicitly stated he’d led a Conservative administration, until its defeat to Labour in 2022 was raised by a journalist, and neither was it stated Mr Thomas had been a Conservative councillor until June last year, and only recently left the council to........

© South Wales Argus