#danthomas — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #danthomas, aggregated by home.social.
-
SENEDD ELECTION: Reform UK Wales leader visits Llanelli as party targets Sir Gaerfyrddin seats with nine days to go
Reform UK Wales leader Dan Thomas has visited Llanelli as the party steps up its campaign in Carmarthenshire ahead of the Senedd election on May 7.
Thomas, joined by Wales Director David Thomas, spent the day with local candidates and members canvassing in Llanelli town centre, the market, St Elli Shopping Centre and on doorsteps across the area.
Gareth Beer, Reform UK’s lead candidate for Sir Gaerfyrddin and Carmarthenshire branch chairman, said the mood on the doorstep had been positive.
“There is great momentum in the county and people are pleased to speak to us and hear about our policies,” he said. “Many people see this election as an important one, and many who have been put off voting in the past are now considering Reform.”
“That’s good to hear — there is a clear shift in this area from the mainstream parties. We are relating to a diverse range of voters which other parties may be struggling to engage with.”
Reform UK Wales leader Dan Thomas visited Llanelli at the weekend as the party targets seats in Sir Gaerfyrddin ahead of the May 7 Senedd election
(Image: Reform UK)Dan Thomas said he was impressed by the local campaign operation. “The branch has outstanding, very relatable, hard working candidates who have been, for several weeks, campaigning tirelessly, getting out there to speak to as many residents as possible,” he said.
“I was particularly pleased to support the strong Llanelli campaign, where the team is working hard to connect with local people every day and to spread the word on what Reform will do for the people of Wales.”
Reform UK Wales’s key Senedd election pledges include cutting 1p off every band of Welsh income tax, scrapping the default 20mph speed limit in built-up areas, advancing the M4 relief road, and reforming business rates to reduce the burden on independent retailers and hospitality venues.
The party also highlighted the importance of revitalising high streets, noting that Llanelli town centre was quieter than expected during the Saturday visit.
The Sir Gaerfyrddin constituency is one of the most closely watched in Wales ahead of May 7. According to the More in Common MRP we reported last week, Reform UK are projected to win two seats in the constituency on 26% of the vote, behind Plaid Cymru on 37%.
However, the latest YouGov MRP paints a more dramatic picture — putting Reform on 31% and projecting them winning three seats in Sir Gaerfyrddin, level with Plaid, and giving Labour no seats in the constituency at all. If that projection holds, both Gareth Beer and Carmelo Colasanto would be elected for Reform in Carmarthenshire.
Across Wales as a whole, the race between Plaid Cymru and Reform UK remains on a knife-edge, with the two parties tied on 29% of the vote in the YouGov model and separated by just one projected seat nationally. Reform had no seats at all in the Senedd at the last election in 2021.
The Senedd election takes place on Thursday, May 7, 2026.
Related stories from Swansea Bay News
SENEDD ELECTION: Plaid on course to make history — who’s set to represent YOU on May 7?
Our More in Common MRP analysis with candidate-by-candidate projections for Sir Gaerfyrddin.SENEDD ELECTION: Race between Plaid and Reform on a knife-edge as two major new polls show Wales is heading for historic result
The latest YouGov and Ipsos polling and what it means for Carmarthenshire.Scarlets: Candidates unite across party lines to demand Senedd scrutiny of WRU’s West Wales merger plans
How candidates across parties in Sir Gaerfyrddin have responded to the WRU crisis.Senedd Election 2026 — all our coverage
#DanThomas #GarethBeer #Llanelli #ReformUK #ReformWales #SeneddElection2026 #SirGaerfyrddin
Full archive of Swansea Bay News reporting on the May 7 election. -
Nigel Farage appoints new Reform Wales leader as Labour says party is now ‘run by Tories’
Reform UK unveiled Thomas at a rally in Newport, where Farage said he had chosen a “battle‑hardened” figure with experience running large budgets and leading a major London borough. Thomas will now front the party’s push for seats in May’s Senedd election, appearing in TV debates and representing Reform in Wales.
The event also confirmed that former Conservative MS James Evans had joined Reform — a move widely expected after he was sacked by the Welsh Conservatives last month for holding talks with the party. Evans’ switch gives Reform two members in the Senedd, but the focus of the Newport rally was firmly on Thomas’s appointment.
Welsh roots, London career, and a return home
Thomas told supporters he was originally from Blackwood, with family roots in the Valleys stretching back generations. He said both his grandfather and great‑grandfather were miners, and that he left Wales as a young adult because opportunities were “few and far between”.
He spent nearly three decades in London, working in financial services and rising through the Conservative Party to become leader of Barnet Council from 2019 to 2022. He later served as opposition leader until May 2024.
Thomas twice stood as a Conservative parliamentary candidate in Islwyn, finishing second to Labour both times. He defected to Reform in June 2025 and moved back to Wales later that year, saying he wanted to raise his young sons closer to family and the countryside he grew up in.
Asked how connected he was to Welsh politics after so long away, Thomas said he had “kept abreast” of events and remained “very informed”.
‘A huge honour’ — Reform’s new Welsh leader speaks out
Dan Thomas, Leader of Reform Wales, said the party had built a “strong team” and would be fighting for communities who feel ignored by mainstream politics.
“It’s a huge honour to lead Reform here in Wales,” he said. “We’ve built a strong team and we’ll get stronger still between now and May and beyond.
“Every day we will be fighting for our forgotten communities and everyone the establishment has ignored for so long.
“This May, vote Reform to deliver the change Wales desperately needs.”
James Evans speaking at a Reform UK event after confirming he has joined the party. (Image: Reform UK)Nigel Farage speaking at a Reform UK event as the party sets out its Welsh campaign strategy. (Image: Reform UK)James Evans: a defection already in motion
Evans’ appearance with Reform followed weeks of speculation. He had been sacked by the Welsh Conservatives and stripped of the whip after admitting he had been “continuing to engage” with Reform representatives, despite previously giving assurances he had rejected an approach.
Farage publicly denied speaking to Evans personally, saying he had not talked to him “for a couple of years”. Evans had also previously ruled out defecting, writing that he would not “jump ship when things get tough”.
His move means Reform now has two Senedd members, following the earlier defection of Laura Anne Jones.
Labour: ‘Reform Wales is being run by Tories’
Welsh Labour issued a blistering response, accusing Reform of becoming a refuge for Conservative politicians trying to save their careers.
A Welsh Labour spokesperson said Farage’s claim that there were “no Tories left in Wales” was because “they’ve all jumped ship to Reform UK to save their own skins”.
They pointed to Thomas’s long London career as evidence that Reform’s Welsh operation was being directed from outside the country.
“And now we’ve got a man who was a London councillor until two months ago telling Wales what it needs,” the spokesperson said.
“Ultimately it doesn’t matter who is named as Reform’s leader in Wales. They will just be Nigel Farage’s puppet, doing his bidding from Westminster and silencing the voices of the people of Wales.
“You can’t trust their leader. You can’t trust their words. Reform UK’s leader in Wales is another former Tory. Reform Wales: led by Tories.”
A major shake‑up ahead of May’s Senedd election
Farage said he chose Thomas because he had “been in the front line” of running budgets and leading a large council, and because he represented someone who “went away and came back” to raise his family in Wales.
Reform is targeting seats across South Wales and the Valleys, with opinion polls suggesting the party could make significant gains. All 60 Senedd seats will be contested under a new voting system in May.
Related stories from Swansea Bay News
Plaid Cymru storms ahead as shock Senedd poll predicts political earthquake in Wales
A major new poll points to dramatic shifts in Welsh politics ahead of May’s election.Defence minister urges Farage to launch probe into Reform UK after Gill bribery case
Calls grow for Reform to investigate its internal controls following a high‑profile conviction.Former Reform UK Wales leader Nathan Gill jailed for 10½ years over Russian bribery
The ex‑Reform figure was sentenced after a major corruption investigation.Llanelli councillor clashes with Reform and Conservative figures over Nation of Sanctuary policy
A heated row breaks out over Wales’ approach to supporting asylum seekers.Reform Senedd hopeful quits party over claims of ‘rigged’ selection process
#DanThomas #JamesEvansMS #NigelFarage #ReformUK #ReformWales #ReformWalesLeader
A candidate steps down alleging serious concerns about internal party procedures.