If you’re wondering what a Reform government might look like, just look at its chaotic record in Wales | Will Hayward

As the main opposition in the Senedd, the party should be taking politics seriously. Spoiler alert: it’s not

In May 2026, Reform UK became the official opposition inside the Welsh Senedd. It was the best result the party had ever received in a national parliament – and since that time it has been a wild ride. Given that its leader, Nigel Farage, claims he expects to one day lead the UK government, how it performs in Wales matters more than just for the people of Cymru; it gives the rest of the UK a sense of what it could expect if Reform does well in the next general election.

Just to give you a taste, here are two developments. In September, Reform’s leader in Wales, Dan Thomas, resigned after he was arrested and released on bail on suspicion of assault and coercive or controlling behaviour. (Thomas said that he had done “nothing wrong” but resigned to avoid becoming a “distraction”.) It has also lost one of its members in a bizarre defection from the rightwing Reform (which has been sceptical about even the existence of the Welsh parliament) to the leftwing Plaid Cymru (which wants more devolution and ultimately an independent Wales).

Will Hayward is a Guardian columnist. He publishes a regular newsletter on Welsh politics