Reform complains to BBC about Caerphilly by-election debate ‘plant’

Reform UK has complained to the BBC after it emerged that a prominent audience member at a by-election debate is running as a Plaid Cymru candidate.

Voters in Caerphilly went to the polls after the sudden death of Labour Senedd Member Hefin David last year.

BBC Wales held a television debate with six of the candidates called Your Voice, Your Vote, in the lead-up to polling day.

During the debate, a woman criticised the party’s stance on immigration, claiming she had “never felt so unwelcome in my own home town”, telling Reform candidate Llyr Powell: “Mr Powell, I blame you for that.”

The interaction went viral and was discussed for the remainder of the campaign, the party said.

Plaid candidate Lindsay Whittle went on to win with 15,961 votes, more than 47% of the total.

Nigel Farage’s party had pledged to “throw everything” at its campaign for the seat, which Labour had held since the Senedd was established in 1999.

Plaid has since announced the audience member, Alison Vyas, as a community council candidate in Caerphilly.

A Facebook post announcing her candidacy described her as a “proud Valleys woman” who “brings the strength, warmth, and community spirit she grew up with”.

Mr Farage said: “Trust in the BBC has been shaken by scandals in recent years, from Huw Edwards to the selective editing of a clip of President Trump.

“Now, this revelation will be the final straw for many people in Wales.

“How can there be any confidence that Reform will get a fair and balanced hearing when this is the kind of thing that happens at key election debates?”

A BBC spokesperson said: “As with all BBC election debates, the audience was selected through an established and impartial vetting process designed to ensure a fair representation of political views.”

“All participants were selected in line with our standard editorial guidelines.”

A Plaid Cymru spokesman said: “Alison is a strong and respected voice in her community who bravely spoke from personal experience during the by-election debate.

“Following the debate, Alison was subjected to significant online abuse for simply challenging the divisive rhetoric that Reform UK promotes. It was only after that experience that she chose to join Plaid Cymru, and we are thrilled that she is now standing for us as a community councillor.”