Labour MP Neil Coyle has questioned Nigel Farage’s judgement over Reform UK’s leadership appointments in Wales after Dan Thomas stood down as the party’s Welsh leader following his arrest on suspicion of assault and controlling or coercive behaviour.
Thomas, who was appointed to lead Reform in Wales by Farage earlier this year, announced his resignation on Monday. Gwent Police confirmed that a 45-year-old man from the Aberbargoed area had been arrested on 13 September and bailed pending further enquiries. Thomas says he has “done nothing wrong” and said he was stepping aside to avoid becoming a distraction.
Responding to the development, Coyle said:
“Reform members don’t get to elect leaders because of Farage control freakery/ownership. But here’s another Farage appointment gone awry.”
He also pointed to former Reform Wales leader Nathan Gill, arguing that Farage’s previous choices raised wider questions about judgement and accountability.
Nathan Gill serving 10-and-a-half-year sentence
Gill was jailed for 10 and a half years in November 2025 after admitting eight counts of bribery, according to the sentencing remarks.
While serving as an MEP, he accepted payments to make pro-Russian statements in the European Parliament and in media appearances. Prosecutors said the offences formed part of a pro-Russia influence operation.
Gill received around £40,000 between 2018 and 2019 and was later ordered to repay more than £22,500 in criminal proceeds.
Coyle described Gill as another example of a Reform Wales leadership appointment that had gone badly wrong.
His wording that Gill was imprisoned for “spying for Russia” goes further than the criminal conviction itself: Gill was convicted of bribery for making pro-Russian statements, not of espionage.
Thomas remains an MS
Thomas said he would continue serving as the Senedd Member for Casnewydd Islwyn despite giving up the leadership.
He had led Reform since February and oversaw the party’s strong performance in May’s Senedd election, after which it became the official opposition with 34 seats.
His resignation represents another setback for the party in Wales, coming on the same day that Reform MS Sarah Cooper-Lesadd defected to Plaid Cymru, accusing Reform of lacking seriousness about governing Wales.
Coyle questions Reform’s internal democracy
Coyle also took aim at how Reform chooses its senior figures, arguing that too much power remains concentrated around Farage.
His intervention reflects a broader Labour attempt to scrutinise not only Reform’s policies but also its internal structures and the judgement of its leadership as the party seeks to present itself as a government-in-waiting.
For Labour MPs, the developments in Wales provide an opportunity to question whether Reform has the organisation, personnel and internal accountability necessary for government.
Coyle’s argument is that voters should look closely at the people Reform appoints to senior positions — and at the judgement of those responsible for choosing them.
