Reform UK unveiled Thomas at a rally in Newport, where Farage said he had chosen a “battle‑hardened” figure with experience running large budgets and leading a major London borough. Thomas will now front the party’s push for seats in May’s Senedd election, appearing in TV debates and representing Reform in Wales.
The event also confirmed that former Conservative MS James Evans had joined Reform — a move widely expected after he was sacked by the Welsh Conservatives last month for holding talks with the party. Evans’ switch gives Reform two members in the Senedd, but the focus of the Newport rally was firmly on Thomas’s appointment.
Welsh roots, London career, and a return home
Thomas told supporters he was originally from Blackwood, with family roots in the Valleys stretching back generations. He said both his grandfather and great‑grandfather were miners, and that he left Wales as a young adult because opportunities were “few and far between”.
He spent nearly three decades in London, working in financial services and rising through the Conservative Party to become leader of Barnet Council from 2019 to 2022. He later served as opposition leader until May 2024.
Thomas twice stood as a Conservative parliamentary candidate in Islwyn, finishing second to Labour both times. He defected to Reform in June 2025 and moved back to Wales later that year, saying he wanted to raise his young sons closer to family and the countryside he grew up in.
Asked how connected he was to Welsh politics after so long away, Thomas said he had “kept abreast” of events and remained “very informed”.
‘A huge honour’ — Reform’s new Welsh leader speaks out
Dan Thomas, Leader of Reform Wales, said the party had built a “strong team” and would be fighting for communities who feel ignored by mainstream politics.
“It’s a huge honour to lead Reform here in Wales,” he said. “We’ve built a strong team and we’ll get stronger still between now and May and beyond.
“Every day we will be fighting for our forgotten communities and everyone the establishment has ignored for so long.
“This May, vote Reform to deliver the change Wales desperately needs.”
James Evans: a defection already in motion
Evans’ appearance with Reform followed weeks of speculation. He had been sacked by the Welsh Conservatives and stripped of the whip after admitting he had been “continuing to engage” with Reform representatives, despite previously giving assurances he had rejected an approach.
Farage publicly denied speaking to Evans personally, saying he had not talked to him “for a couple of years”. Evans had also previously ruled out defecting, writing that he would not “jump ship when things get tough”.
His move means Reform now has two Senedd members, following the earlier defection of Laura Anne Jones.
Labour: ‘Reform Wales is being run by Tories’
Welsh Labour issued a blistering response, accusing Reform of becoming a refuge for Conservative politicians trying to save their careers.
A Welsh Labour spokesperson said Farage’s claim that there were “no Tories left in Wales” was because “they’ve all jumped ship to Reform UK to save their own skins”.
They pointed to Thomas’s long London career as evidence that Reform’s Welsh operation was being directed from outside the country.
“And now we’ve got a man who was a London councillor until two months ago telling Wales what it needs,” the spokesperson said.
“Ultimately it doesn’t matter who is named as Reform’s leader in Wales. They will just be Nigel Farage’s puppet, doing his bidding from Westminster and silencing the voices of the people of Wales.
“You can’t trust their leader. You can’t trust their words. Reform UK’s leader in Wales is another former Tory. Reform Wales: led by Tories.”
A major shake‑up ahead of May’s Senedd election
Farage said he chose Thomas because he had “been in the front line” of running budgets and leading a large council, and because he represented someone who “went away and came back” to raise his family in Wales.
Reform is targeting seats across South Wales and the Valleys, with opinion polls suggesting the party could make significant gains. All 60 Senedd seats will be contested under a new voting system in May.
