4 hours Ago By Katie Harris
Nigel Farage hailed new polling putting Reform UK ahead of the Tories in Wales. The Reform leader insisted only his party can be the "challenger" to Labour at the Senedd election in 2026. The poll by Survation put Reform third on 20%, just behind Plaid Cymru on 21% and Labour on 30%.
The Tories came fourth with 17% in the survey of 2,006 adults living in Wales carried out between October 18 and November 4. Mr Farage, the MP for Clacton, said: “The Senedd elections are now just 18 months away. "This new poll shows Reform ahead of the Conservatives in Wales on 19%, and we are on 26% in the Valleys.
Only Reform can be the challenger to Labour. "The people of Wales have been failed by Labour for nearly three decades now. Half of all voters think they have handled the NHS badly.
"Our conference in Newport today marks the start of our efforts to present a fresh choice to an electorate who have been badly let down. Wales needs Reform.” The next Senedd election will take place on May 7 2026.
Reform does not currently have any seats in the Welsh Parliament, but finished second in 13 of the 32 constituencies in Wales at July's general election. Mr Farage, Reform MP Lee Anderson and chairman Zia Yusuf are among speakers at today's conference. But Welsh Tory leader Andrew RT Davies said: “The Welsh Conservatives are used to facing off against Wales’ tired old establishment, but we didn’t expect Reform to so quickly become a part of it.
“Reform UK have betrayed their voters by opposing my criticism of Labour’s hopes to pay illegal migrants £1,600 a month and by supporting the creation of 36 more politicians which will cost Welsh taxpayers £120 million. Their Chairman called the vanity project 'vital'. “Welsh voters want a real alternative to Labour’s relentless focus on the wrong priorities.
The only party that will truly stand up for Wales is the Welsh Conservatives . “We heard this all before with UKIP in 2016 and it’s still the same old faces with the same old message. Within a month they had disembowelled themselves with infighting, leaving their voters without representation.
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