Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party is embroiled in a controversy over alleged racism following a social media post by a local election candidate that criticized a prominent party supporter. Arron Banks, a major backer of Reform and a key figure in the Brexit campaign, sparked outrage by commenting “Welsh lad?” on a video featuring a Black activist supporting Plaid Cymru. The remark has been condemned by opposition parties, with Labour denouncing it as “abhorrent racism.”
James Evans, a Reform candidate, has publicly denounced Banks’ comment as racist. He stated in an interview with BBC Politics Wales that such remarks are unacceptable. Banks defended his comment as a joke, claiming that Plaid Cymru lacks a sense of humor and suggesting they are anti-English.
Plaid Cymru’s Liz Saville Roberts criticized Banks’ defense, emphasizing that racism should not be trivialized. She called on Nigel Farage and Dan Thomas, Reform’s leader in Wales, to condemn Banks’ remarks. The controversy has cast a shadow over Reform’s campaign in Wales, where they are in a tight race with Plaid Cymru to lead the next Welsh parliament, posing a potential challenge to the long-standing dominance of the Labour Party in Wales.
Mr. Farage has urged Banks to apologize for his remarks, acknowledging they were in poor taste but attributing them to a lapse in judgment. When asked if Banks should apologize, Farage commented that Banks, being who he is, is unlikely to do so. Dan Thomas, Reform’s leader in Wales, sidestepped addressing Banks’ post directly during a recent TV debate, recounting his own experiences of being targeted for his Welsh background.
Various political parties have condemned the racist nature of Banks’ comment, with Welsh Labour, Welsh Conservatives, and the Wales Green Party all expressing disapproval. Reform UK has chosen not to provide a statement on the matter.