#seneddelection2026 — Public Fediverse posts

SWANSEA: #DogsAtPollingStations is trending — but spare a thought for the #DogsNotAtPollingStations who’d love a vote of confidence today

Across Wales today, social media is filling up with #DogsAtPollingStations – the much-loved trend where proud owners share photos of their canine companions accompanying them to vote.

But for every smiling pup pictured outside a polling station today, there’s another dog who isn’t there.

The #DogsNotAtPollingStations are the rescue dogs sitting in animal centres across Wales – many of whom have been waiting weeks, months or longer to find a new owner to one day vote alongside.

At RSPCA Cymru’s Llys Nini Branch in Swansea – based in the Senedd’s new Gŵyr Abertawe constituency – there are 11 dogs currently ready for adoption.

Many more will join them in the coming weeks once court proceedings conclude or rehabilitation programmes are completed.

The RSPCA is urging voters across Wales to consider adopting one of these dogs – so they can become part of next election’s #DogsAtPollingStations trend.

Among them is Bear, a two-year-old Chow Chow looking for what the charity describes as a loving forever home.

Bear is described by staff as a dog with “bags of character” who loves long walks and food.

The RSPCA notes that Chow Chows can have very long coats – something any potential new owner would need to consider.

Lady – based at RSPCA’s Newport centre – is a gentle and sensitive Patterdale terrier crossbreed who is looking for a calm, understanding home where she can truly blossom.
(Image: RSPCA)

Across the RSPCA’s other Welsh centres, more dogs are also looking for homes.

At the charity’s Newport centre, Lady – a gentle Patterdale terrier crossbreed – is searching for a calm, understanding home.

The RSPCA describes her as a little shy when meeting new people, but says with patience and kindness her true personality shines through. She would do best as the only pet in the home.

Nine-year-old Staffordshire bull terrier Reggie is looking for a new home after his owner passed away.
(Image: RSPCA)

At the Bryn-Y-Maen centre in Upper Colwyn Bay, nine-year-old Staffordshire bull terrier Reggie is also waiting for a new family after his previous owner passed away.

Tan and white Reggie loves to potter about outdoor spaces and is described by staff as full of love, knowing lots of commands and being a big fan of fuss and attention.

Dr Samantha Gaines from the charity’s Companion Animals Department said it was always heartwarming to see voters share photos of their dogs outside polling stations.

“With temperatures warming up, we’d always urge voters to keep their dogs nice and cool – or even consider taking them to vote in the evening depending on how hot it is outside,” she said.

She said many RSPCA centres were full to bursting. “We’d urge anyone looking to add a dog to their family to check out the RSPCA’s Find a Pet website,” she said. “You may find your paw-fect voting companion for next polling day.”

The RSPCA also published its own manifesto ahead of the 2026 Senedd election, and according to the charity’s Animal Kindness Index, Wales has the highest proportion of animal lovers of any UK nation.

Billie-Jade Thomas, Senior Public Affairs Manager at the RSPCA, said voters had welcomed hearing from political parties’ plans for animals. “We look forward to working with Wales’ 96 new Senedd Members to ensure animal welfare is a top priority,” she said.

For anyone in Swansea or across south-west Wales considering rehoming a dog, more information about Bear and the other dogs at Llys Nini is available on the Llys Nini Branch website.

Full details of all the dogs available for adoption across the RSPCA’s Welsh centres can be found on the RSPCA’s Find a Pet tool.

#adoptADog #Dogs #LlysNini #RSPCA #RSPCACymru #SeneddElection2026

BRIDGEND: Youngest-ever councillor quits Reform, then independent — and has now joined party that wants to abolish the Senedd and bring back the death penalty

A Bridgend councillor who made history as the county’s youngest ever elected member has announced he is joining Restore Britain — a party that advocates abolishing the Senedd, large-scale deportation, banning the burqa and niqab, and holding a referendum on restoring the death penalty.

Owain Clatworthy, 21, who represents the Pyle, Kenfig Hill and Cefn Cribwr ward on Bridgend County Borough Council, posted a letter to his constituents on social media on Friday announcing the move. He said the decision came after “much prayer and careful thought.”

It is his third political home in the space of a few weeks. Clatworthy was elected to the council last year as a Reform UK candidate, winning by just 30 votes in what was a closely fought contest. He was also selected to stand as a Reform candidate in the Pen-y-bont Bro Morgannwg constituency in the upcoming Senedd election — though he was placed at the bottom of the party’s regional list.

In March he quit Reform, accusing the party of “poor internal decision-making” and a “lack of discipline.” He said he had been placed at the bottom of the list despite having previously been offered positions in several other constituencies. He also gave a forthright interview to a podcast in which he claimed Reform’s vetting process involved being assessed by “arrogant young councillors from England” and alleged he had been “bullied” by a party figure, adding that there was “a lot of backstabbing, a lot of drama” within the organisation.

Just two weeks ago, Clatworthy said he wanted to sit as an independent — telling constituents it “isn’t about politics, it’s about our community.”

That position lasted a fortnight. In Friday’s letter he explained his change of heart, writing: “Since serving as an independent councillor, I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting on how I can best use my time and energy to deliver real change, and I’ve come to realise that I can’t do that effectively on my own. Real change needs a strong and organised movement, people pulling in the same direction with the courage to act, and I believe Restore Britain is building exactly that.”

He added: “My faith as a Christian calls me to act with honesty, compassion and boldness, even when it’s difficult. That’s why I’m joining Restore Britain.”

Restore Britain was launched in February by Rupert Lowe, the Great Yarmouth MP who was elected to Parliament for Reform UK in 2024 before leaving the party amid a public dispute with Nigel Farage. The party has attracted criticism from across the political spectrum, with some commentators describing it as far-right. Its stated policy positions include large-scale deportation, a ban on the burqa and niqab, and a binding public referendum on restoring capital punishment.

Lowe has also been a vocal critic of Welsh devolution. In August last year he called for the Senedd to be scrapped entirely, saying “scrapping the entire Welsh Assembly would be a positive move for Britain” — a position at odds with the views of the overwhelming majority of Welsh MPs and MSs across all mainstream parties.

Clatworthy’s letter also touched on grooming gangs, the cost of living, housing and border security, saying: “Protecting the innocent must always come before political correctness, and I support real action and accountability on this.”

His political journey has been a turbulent one even by the standards of a career that is barely a year old. As Swansea Bay News has previously reported, Clatworthy’s departure was one of several blows to Reform’s Senedd campaign in Pen-y-bont Bro Morgannwg, with three of the party’s six regional candidates having quit ahead of the May 7 election. It later also emerged that weeks after his election victory, Clatworthy had reportedly approached the council’s ruling Labour group about joining them — saying he couldn’t stand Farage.

He had spent over £400 on Reform’s vetting process to stand in the Senedd election before his departure from the party.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

Bridgend chaos: Three of Reform’s six Pen-y-bont Senedd candidates have quit and nobody knows who’ll replace them
Clatworthy’s exit was one of several departures that threw Reform’s Senedd campaign in Bridgend into disarray.

Reform beat Labour by 30 votes in council by-election
How Owain Clatworthy first won his Bridgend council seat for Reform UK.

More Reform UK coverage from Swansea Bay News
All our reporting on Reform UK’s candidates, campaigns and controversies across the region.

#OwainClatworthy #PenYBontBroMorgannwg #ReformUK #RestoreBritain #RupertLowe #SeneddElection2026

Reform UK Senedd candidate failed to declare Freemasonry membership on council register

A Reform UK candidate who could be elected to represent parts of Swansea and Neath Port Talbot has admitted failing to declare his Freemasonry membership on his council register of interests, saying he did not realise he was required to do so.

Iain McIntosh, who runs a carpet business in Brecon and defected from the Conservatives last year, is a member of Powys County Council and is number two on Reform UK’s list for the Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd constituency in next month’s Senedd election — a position that gives him a realistic chance of being elected. The large regional seat covers Powys as well as parts of Swansea and Neath Port Talbot. Nation Cymru reports that a political source provided lodge minutes showing McIntosh had been initiated as a Freemason on 26 February 2020 and passed in November 2021.

Powys County Council’s Register of Members’ Interests asks councillors to declare membership of any company, industrial and provident society, charity or body directed to charitable purposes. The Freemasons make regular charity donations. Under that category, McIntosh had declared “None.”

When approached, McIntosh immediately confirmed he was the individual named in the lodge minutes. “I didn’t realise I was supposed to declare my membership in the Register of Interests, because I didn’t see any conflict. Powys County Council has no contracts with the Lodge I am a member of,” he said.

He added that he had joined to make charity donations and socialise, and had not attended a lodge meeting for a year or 18 months. “I’m a very transparent person and it’s not in my nature to be secretive. If it was up to me, I’d be quite happy to let people know what goes on at meetings — there’s nothing dodgy,” he said. He added that Freemasons could be found across all parties and that if elected to the Senedd he would be happy to declare his membership if required.

The political source said the issue was one of openness and transparency rather than a debate on the merits of Freemasonry itself. “If he is serving constituents, some may be comfortable with his freemasonry, others may not be. So it is important that he is open, transparent and straightforward by telling them what oaths he has sworn to certain clubs and societies,” the source said.

The disclosure comes at a turbulent time for Reform UK in Wales with the Senedd election weeks away. Former Senedd MS Caroline Jones resigned from the party last week, citing candidate parachuting and a “wall of silence” in response to formal complaints.

Three of Reform’s six candidates for the Bridgend and Vale of Glamorgan constituency quit in the space of days — including its top two — while a Swansea candidate resigned in a furious “betrayal” rant, saying the party had “sunk deep into the sewer.”

The Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd constituency, which takes in parts of the Brecon Beacons, Swansea and Neath Port Talbot, is one of the more keenly contested regional seats in next month’s Senedd election. With McIntosh second on the list, the question of what he has or hasn’t declared to his current council — and what he would declare as a Senedd member — is now a live one ahead of polling day on 7 May.

McIntosh said he remained committed to transparency. “If I get elected to the Senedd and they want me to declare I am a Freemason, I’ll be happy to do so,” he said.

#BrycheiniogTaweNedd #Freemasons #IainMcIntosh #PowysCountyCouncil #ReformUK #SeneddElection #SeneddElection2026 #SeneddElections2026

REFORM UK: Former Senedd MS Caroline Jones resigns citing candidate parachuting and “wall of silence”

Jones, 70, who represented South Wales West as a regional MS from 2016 to 2021, announced her resignation on social media, saying she had formally submitted her departure more than 24 hours before making it public and had received no response from the party.

In a lengthy statement, Jones said local members who had worked hard in their communities had been passed over for candidacies, with individuals she described as having “little or no connection” to constituencies being placed into positions instead. She said this had caused “deep frustration and disappointment” among members, candidates and supporters who had invested time and resources in good faith.

More seriously, she alleged that some of those parachuted into constituencies had brought “further reputational damage” through conduct including allegations of racism and discrimination — claims she said had embarrassed those who had worked to represent their communities with integrity.

“This continued lack of engagement reflects the wall of silence that many of us have experienced when trying to seek clarity and accountability,” Jones wrote, adding that she had made repeated formal attempts to get answers and had consistently been ignored.

The resignation adds to a growing picture of turmoil inside Reform UK’s Welsh operation in the weeks before the May 2026 Senedd election. Swansea Bay News has reported extensively on the party’s difficulties across the region, including the collapse of its Bridgend candidate slate, a furious resignation in Swansea in which a candidate branded the party a “sewer”, and a Carmarthenshire candidate launch overshadowed by wider defections and internal turbulence.

Jones is not a new face to Welsh political turbulence. She was first elected on the UKIP ticket in 2016, briefly led the UKIP Senedd group in 2018, and subsequently left to sit as an independent before joining the Brexit Party — now Reform UK — in 2019. She later broke with the group again over its anti-devolution stance, forming the Independent Alliance for Reform group in the Senedd until her seat ended at the 2021 election. She rejoined Reform UK in 2023.

Her resignation echoes complaints that have surfaced repeatedly across Wales. Candidate selection disputes, allegations of racism and discrimination against Reform figures in the region, and the high-profile jailing of former Wales leader Nathan Gill for ten and a half years over a Russian bribery case have collectively damaged the party’s credibility ahead of what polls suggest could be a significant electoral moment.

Jones said her decision was “about integrity, and about standing up for what is right”, and that she remained committed to serving veterans and her community.

It is not yet clear whether she intends to stand as an independent candidate at the Senedd election or step back from frontline politics.

Jones represented the South Wales West region, which covers Bridgend, Neath Port Talbot and Swansea — areas that have been among the most turbulent for the party’s Welsh operation.

The Senedd election takes place on 7 May 2026. Reform UK has not yet responded to the resignation.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

Bridgend chaos: Three of Reform’s six Pen-y-bont Senedd candidates have quit — and nobody knows who’ll replace them
Three of Reform UK’s six Bridgend Senedd candidates quit ahead of the May 2026 election, leaving the party scrambling to fill its slate.

Swansea Reform UK candidate quits in furious ‘betrayal’ rant — ‘Party has sunk into the sewer!’
A Reform UK Swansea candidate resigned with a furious public statement accusing the party of betrayal.

Carmarthenshire: Reform UK names full Senedd slate — but defections cast shadow over campaign launch
Reform UK named its Carmarthenshire Senedd candidates, but the announcement was overshadowed by wider party turbulence and defections.

Nigel Farage appoints new Reform Wales leader as Labour says party is now run by Tories
Nigel Farage appointed a new Reform UK Wales leader amid ongoing questions about the party’s direction in Wales.

Former Reform UK Wales leader Nathan Gill jailed for 10 and a half years over Russian bribery
Nathan Gill, the former leader of Reform UK in Wales, was jailed for over a decade after being convicted of accepting Russian bribes.

Plaid Cymru storms ahead as shock Senedd poll predicts political earthquake in Wales
A major Senedd poll showed Plaid Cymru surging ahead, with significant implications for all parties including Reform UK.

#CarolineJones #featured #ReformUK #ReformWales #resignation #SeneddElection #SeneddElection2026 #SeneddElections2026

BRIDGEND CHAOS: Three of Reform’s six Pen-y-bont Senedd candidates have quit — and nobody knows who’ll replace them

Reform UK is facing a crisis in Bridgend after three of its six candidates for the area’s Senedd constituency quit in rapid succession — leaving the party without its top two names just weeks before polling day and with no replacements yet announced.

The triple resignation in Pen-y-bont Bro Morgannwg — the new Senedd constituency covering Bridgend and the Vale of Glamorgan — means it is currently unclear who will represent the party on election day. Nominations close on April 9, and Reform has told the BBC it intends to present a full list.

The first to go was Corey Edwards, who had been placed first on the list and therefore had the best chance of winning a seat for the party. He resigned after a photograph emerged appearing to show him performing a Nazi salute. Nigel Farage initially defended Edwards, claiming he had been impersonating Basil Fawlty. Edwards stood down the following day.

The second resignation came from Derek Roberts, who had been placed second on the list. A Reform source confirmed he had stepped back for “personal reasons” that have not been made public, describing him as an ex-military figure who “remains an active champion for veterans in his community.”

As first and second on a six-seat proportional list, both Edwards and Roberts had a realistic chance of being elected in May. Their departures have stripped the party of its most likely winners in the constituency.

The third candidate to leave was Owain Clatworthy, placed sixth. As Swansea Bay News reported, Clatworthy made history last year when he won the Pyle, Kenfig Hill and Cefn Cribwr by-election by just 30 votes, becoming Bridgend County Borough Council’s youngest ever councillor at 20 years old. He has now resigned from Reform entirely, saying he will continue to serve his ward as an independent.

In a public statement, Clatworthy cited “poor internal decision making, a lack of discipline and serious concerns around candidate selection,” accusing the party of selecting candidates “with little or no connection to the communities they seek to represent.” Speaking to BBC Wales, he said the Edwards photograph “really did it for me. I can’t support a party that would be happy to back something like that.”

He added: “The country is in a mess and it’s easy to complain and I thought Reform were the answer. From day one, up until now, the way I have been treated, and members and other councillors have been treated by the leadership team, is not good.”

The Pen-y-bont situation is the sharpest expression of a wider problem that has engulfed Reform’s Welsh campaign in recent days. In total, the party has lost four candidates across Wales in a single week — with a further two having withdrawn before the official lists were even published. Patrick Benham-Crosswell, Reform’s fourth-placed candidate in Gŵyr Abertawe, was among those to go — his furious departure, which Swansea Bay News was first to report, saw him accuse the party of taking members and candidates “for granted.” Andrew Barry resigned from the Pontypridd Cynon Merthyr slate and from Reform itself, saying candidates were being “parachuted in” to areas with no connection to them.

The scale of the problem has been confirmed by sources inside the party. A separate source told the BBC that local Reform branches “were in turmoil.” A whistleblower described the vetting process as “expensive, flawed and unprofessional,” and said the system “favours insiders, parachuted candidates and personal connections over local knowledge and competence.”

Even one of the party’s own candidates who survived the process has spoken critically of it. Torfaen Reform councillor Jason O’Connell, who is standing as Reform’s number one candidate in Pontypridd Cynon Merthyr, told BBC Radio Wales’ Sunday Supplement that the vetting had been “brutal” and “intrusive,” saying the party had rejected “genuinely good people” over old social media posts. “We’ve lost that ability to bring them in because, as I said, digital is forever,” he said.

There is also a practical consequence to the resignations beyond the reputational damage. Under the new Welsh voting system, parties are required to put forward full lists of candidates in each constituency. Having fewer than six candidates not only affects a party’s chances of winning seats — it limits how much they are legally allowed to spend on their campaign. Reform has said it will field a full list, but with nominations closing on April 9 and no replacements announced, the clock is ticking.

The turmoil in Bridgend comes as Reform holds significant polling support in the constituency. The party has been targeting working-class communities across south Wales valleys and coastal towns, and polling has projected it as competitive across the region. The question now is whether the chaos in its candidate selection damages that support — or whether, as has happened elsewhere in the UK, voters back the party regardless of the turbulence at the top.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

Reform beat Labour by 30 votes in council by-election
Owain Clatworthy’s narrow by-election win that made him Bridgend’s youngest ever councillor — and set him on the path to now quitting Reform.

Swansea Reform UK candidate quits in furious ‘betrayal’ rant – ‘Party has sunk into the sewer!’
The Gŵyr Abertawe resignation Swansea Bay News broke first — one of four Reform departures across Wales in a week.

Reform Senedd hopeful quits party over claims of ‘rigged’ selection process in Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion
The selection row that has been spreading across Wales ahead of the May 7 vote.

Plaid Cymru storms ahead as shock Senedd poll predicts political earthquake in Wales
The polling context — and whether Reform’s chaos is showing up in the numbers.

#BridgendCounty #candidates #CefnCribwr #KenfigHill #OwenClatworthy #Pyle #ReformUK #SeneddElection #SeneddElection2026