Nigel Farage says Reform will ‘make devolution work’ in Wales

Nigel Farage has dismissed suggestions that his party would scrap the Welsh Parliament and said its ambition was to make devolution work.

The party leader denied reports that a Reform government would roll back the devolution settlement in Wales.

Speaking at a conference in Birmingham earlier this month, Laura Anne Jones, Reform’s Member of the Senedd for South Wales East, said the party would not rule out scrapping the Senedd.

A spokesperson, asked about the issue by BBC Wales, later said abolition would not appear in a Reform UK manifesto but reiterated it “would not rule anything out”.

Addressing a press conference in Caerphilly on Friday, Mr Farage dismissed suggestions there were already disagreements within the Welsh branch of the party regarding the abolition of the Senedd.

He said: “There are some people (in Wales) who are very disillusioned with devolution.

“What they’re disillusioned with is the failure of Labour, over 26 years, to make devolution work.”

He said the message Ms Jones had aimed to convey at the Birmingham conference was that Reform’s “job, aim and ambition” was to “make devolution work” in Wales.

He said: “You will not hear a word from me about getting rid of the Senedd.

“We have to accept the facts of life as they are, (devolution) has happened.”