News

Reform rejects questions over new Welsh Leader Dan Thomas’ residency

Published

5 months ago

February 7, 2026

Party insists he lives in Wales despite owning home across the border

REFORM UK has confirmed that its newly appointed Welsh leader Dan Thomas owns a house in the English city of Bath, but maintains he is currently living in Wales with his family.

The row follows reporting by Nation.Cymru, which questioned whether Mr Thomas had relocated to Wales as claimed when he was unveiled as the party’s figurehead ahead of the next Senedd Cymru election.

Mr Thomas was introduced to supporters at a rally in Newport by Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, who said the former London Conservative council leader had “returned to his roots” in the Valleys to raise his young family.

Mr Thomas has also publicly stated that he lives in Wales.

However, the Welsh news site reported that he had sold his London home and told former colleagues he was moving to the Bath area for work and to be closer to family.

Following publication of the story, a Reform UK press officer contacted the outlet insisting: “Dan lives in Wales. Any claim to the contrary is entirely false. He lives here in Wales, where he is raising his young family.”

When pressed further, the party acknowledged that Mr Thomas owns property in Bath, but said it is rented out and not his main residence.

The clarification prompted a series of additional questions from journalists, including when the Bath property was purchased, whether he ever lived there, and why it was bought if the intention had always been to relocate to Wales.

They also sought confirmation of where Mr Thomas is registered to vote and the circumstances around his appointment as Reform UK’s Welsh leader.

According to the publication, those questions were not answered directly. Reform UK instead repeated that Mr Thomas “lives here in Wales with his wife and children” and called for the original article to be removed.

In a subsequent video statement, Mr Thomas described the coverage as a “smear”, saying political opponents were “rattled” and inviting “credible, trustworthy journalists” to visit him for “a cup of tea” to prove he lives in Wales.

The issue matters because candidates seeking election to the Senedd are expected to demonstrate a clear residential link to Wales.

Reform UK has not provided further detail about Mr Thomas’s living arrangements.

This article is based on reporting first published by Martin Shipton at Nation.Cymru and is rewritten with attribution.

Crime

Uxbridge motorist banned after Pembrokeshire drug-drive stop

Published

28 minutes ago

June 24, 2026

Sarah Jane Absalom

Driver was heading home after visiting former girlfriend when police stopped him on the A477

A WEST London motorist has been banned after being caught driving on the A477 in Broadmoor with a cocaine metabolite and cannabis in his system.

Danny Small, 32, was stopped by police carrying out routine checks at around 11:30am on January 28.

After providing a positive roadside drug swipe, Small was taken to a police station, where blood tests showed he had 157mcg of benzoylecgonine in his system. The legal limit is 50mcg.

He also had 2.9mcg of Delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol in his system. The legal limit is 2mcg.

Small, of Little London Close, Uxbridge, appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court this week, where he pleaded guilty to two drug-driving offences.

Probation officer Julie Norman told the bench that Small had been visiting his former girlfriend in Pembrokeshire and was driving home to Uxbridge at the time of the offence.

Ms Norman said Small was a regular cannabis and cocaine user.

“This helps treat his undiagnosed ADHD,” she said.

“He didn’t think the drugs would still have been in his system, as he’d consumed the drugs several days earlier. But drugs can often remain in the system for several weeks.”

Small was sentenced to a 12-month community order, during which he must complete 15 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

He was fined £80 and ordered to pay a £114 court surcharge and £85 costs. He was disqualified from driving for 15 months.

News

Uxbridge motorist banned after Pembrokeshire drug-drive stop

Published

31 minutes ago

June 24, 2026

Sarah Jane Absalom

Driver was heading home after visiting former girlfriend when police stopped him on the A477

A WEST London motorist has been banned after being caught driving on the A477 in Broadmoor with a cocaine metabolite and cannabis in his system.

Danny Small, 32, was stopped by police carrying out routine checks at around 11:30am on January 28.

After providing a positive roadside drug swipe, Small was taken to a police station, where blood tests showed he had 157mcg of benzoylecgonine in his system. The legal limit is 50mcg.

He also had 2.9mcg of Delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol in his system. The legal limit is 2mcg.

Small, of Little London Close, Uxbridge, appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court this week, where he pleaded guilty to two drug-driving offences.

Probation officer Julie Norman told the bench that Small had been visiting his former girlfriend in Pembrokeshire and was driving home to Uxbridge at the time of the offence.

Ms Norman said Small was a regular cannabis and cocaine user.

“This helps treat his undiagnosed ADHD,” she said.

“He didn’t think the drugs would still have been in his system, as he’d consumed the drugs several days earlier. But drugs can often remain in the system for several weeks.”

Small was sentenced to a 12-month community order, during which he must complete 15 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

He was fined £80 and ordered to pay a £114 court surcharge and £85 costs. He was disqualified from driving for 15 months.

Crime

Carpenter banned after drug-driving in camper van

Published

38 minutes ago

June 24, 2026

Sarah-Jane Absalom

Pembroke Dock man was five times over the cannabis limit

A PEMBROKESHIRE carpenter has been banned from driving after being caught behind the wheel of his camper van while five times over the drug-drive limit.

James Toulouse, 35, was stopped by police shortly before midnight on December 20, 2025, as he drove his white Mercedes Vito along Buttermilk Lane in Pembroke.

“There was a strong smell of cannabis coming from the vehicle and the driver, who was James Toulouse, appeared glazed, as his eyes were red and bleary,” Crown Prosecutor Sian Vaughan told Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court.

A roadside drug swipe proved positive. Further tests showed Toulouse had 11mcg of Delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol in his system. The legal limit is 2mcg.

The court heard this was Toulouse’s second drug-driving offence in ten years.

Toulouse, of Clarence Street, Pembroke Dock, pleaded guilty to drug-driving.

He was represented by solicitor Michael Kelleher, who said the defendant works as a carpenter.

“Obviously it’s not going to be easy for him to carry on with his work, but he’s fully intending to do so,” he said.

Toulouse was disqualified from driving for 36 months. He was fined £350 and ordered to pay £85 court costs and a £140 surcharge.