Former Conservative council leader tasked with building support ahead of Senedd elections

DAN THOMAS has been appointed as the new Welsh leader of Reform UK, in a move the party says will strengthen its organisation ahead of next year’s Senedd elections.

Thomas, a former Conservative council leader, will head Reform’s campaign across Wales as the party attempts to convert growing polling support into seats at devolved level for the first time.

The appointment marks Reform’s most significant step yet in formalising its Welsh structure, with the party seeking to present itself as a credible alternative to Labour, the Conservatives and Plaid Cymru.

Party sources say his brief is straightforward: build candidates, grow membership and turn dissatisfaction with mainstream politics into votes.

Shift from the Conservatives

Thomas’s move follows a broader trend of defections from the Conservative Party to Reform UK, both in Wales and across the UK.

In recent weeks, former Conservative Senedd member James Evans also switched allegiance, signalling unrest within Tory ranks and giving Reform higher-profile figures to front its Welsh campaign.

Reform has increasingly targeted voters frustrated with NHS waiting lists, cost-of-living pressures and rural economic concerns, arguing that the established parties have failed to deliver meaningful change.

Supporters say Thomas brings experience of local government leadership and campaigning, which they believe will help professionalise the party’s operations in Wales.

Critics hit out

However, opponents have been quick to criticise the appointment.

Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth described Thomas as effectively “Farage’s deputy”, claiming his role would be focused more on advancing the ambitions of Nigel Farage than developing policies tailored to Wales.

Plaid figures argue Reform is largely made up of former Conservatives and lacks detailed plans on devolved issues such as health, education and local government funding.

They have also pointed to the party’s past controversies, including the conviction of former Wales figure Nathan Gill, though Reform says it is now under new leadership and direction.

Election battle ahead

Recent polling suggests Reform could play a significant role in shaping the next Senedd, with support rising in parts of south and west Wales where voters have traditionally backed Labour or the Conservatives.

If those numbers translate into seats, Reform could disrupt the balance of power in Cardiff Bay and complicate coalition maths after the election.

For Thomas, the challenge will be turning protest votes into an organised ground campaign capable of winning constituencies under Wales’s proportional system.

Whether Reform’s momentum continues — or stalls under scrutiny — is likely to become clearer as candidates are selected and manifestos published in the months ahead.

Reform UK has said more details about its Welsh policy platform will be announced later this year.

COUNCIL TAX in Ceredigion is expected to rise by 4.7 per cent for the next financial year, following a better-than-expected funding settlement from the Welsh Government that has eased pressure on the county’s budget.

The increase is significantly lower than earlier projections, which had suggested a rise of close to nine per cent, and comes after additional grant funding was secured for local authorities across Wales.

Last year, council tax in Ceredigion rose by 9.3 per cent as part of the 2025–26 budget.

While council tax accounts for only part of the authority’s income, a key element of its funding comes from Aggregate External Finance (AEF) provided by the Welsh Government.

Under the provisional settlement, Ceredigion County Council was initially set to receive a 2.3 per cent uplift—around £3.39m—bringing its total settlement to approximately £150.67m. This placed Ceredigion joint 13th out of Wales’ 22 local authorities.

However, following a subsequent agreement between the Welsh Government and Plaid Cymru, further funding was made available to councils, improving Ceredigion’s financial position.

Speaking last November, before the enhanced settlement was confirmed, council leader Cllr Bryan Davies warned that early estimates suggested an 8.9 per cent council tax rise might be required. Further modelling of service pressures and potential operational savings later reduced that estimate to 6.9 per cent.

The improved funding outlook was outlined to Cabinet in January by the Cabinet Member for Finance and Procurement, Cllr Gareth Davies, who proposed a 4.75 per cent increase as part of a draft budget requirement of £221.493m.

Members of the council’s Corporate Resources Overview and Scrutiny Committee heard on Monday (February 3) that the position had improved again. Additional financial support towards the Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service levy has allowed the projected increase to fall slightly further, to 4.7 per cent.

For a typical Band D household, this would equate to an increase of around £7.39 per month in the next financial year.

The committee agreed to note the revised figure. A formal recommendation on council tax levels will be considered by Cabinet on February 10, with the final budget decision due to be made by full council on March 2.

A CALL for the retrospective conversion of office space previously connected to a Pembrokeshire car hire business to a chocolate factory, a beauty salon and a laundrette has been submitted to county planners

In an application to Pembrokeshire County Council, Mr M Williams, through agent Preseli Planning Ltd, sought retrospective permission for the subdivision of an office on land off Scotchwell Cottage, Cartlett, Haverfordwest into three units forming a chocolate manufacturing, a beauty salon, and a launderette, along with associated works.

A supporting statement said planning history at the site saw a 2018 application for the refurbishment of an existing office building and a change of use from oil depot offices to a hire car office and car/van storage yard, approved back in 2019.

For the chocolate manufacturing by ‘Pembrokeshire Chocolate company,’ as part of the latest scheme it said: “The operation comprises of manufacturing of handmade bespoke flavoured chocolate bars. Historically there was an element of counter sales but this has now ceased. The business sales comprise of online orders and the delivery of produce to local stockist. There are no counter sales from the premises.”

It said the beauty salon “offers treatments, nail services and hairdressing,” operating “on an appointment only basis, with the hairdresser element also offering a mobile service”. It said the third unit of the building functions as a commercial laundrette and ironing services known as ‘West Coast Laundry,’ which “predominantly provides services to holiday cottages, hotels and care homes”.

The statement added: “Beyond the unchanged access the site has parking provision for at least 12 vehicles and a turning area. The building now forms three units which employ two persons per unit. The 12 parking spaces, therefore, provide sufficient provision for staff.

“In terms of visiting members of the public the beauty salon operates on an appointment only basis and based on its small scale can only accommodate two customers at any one time. Therefore, ample parking provision exists to visitors.

“With regard to the chocolate manufacturing and commercial laundrette service these enterprises do not attract visitors but do attract the dropping off laundry and delivery of associated inputs. Drop off and collections associated with the laundry services tend to fall in line with holiday accommodation changeover days, for example Tuesday drop off and collections on the Thursday.