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Helen Jenner has been named as the new leader of Reform UK in Wales after Dan Thomas stepped down due to personal issues including a police arrest. Jenner, who is fluent in Welsh and was previously deputy leader, will now lead the largest opposition group in the Senedd. She expressed that she did not anticipate becoming leader but feels a sense of duty and unity within the party.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-21,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Nigel Farage announced Helen Jenner as the new leader of Reform in Wales after the previous leader, Dan Thomas, stepped down following his arrest on suspicion of assault and controlling or coercive behavior. The change occurred last week when a vote was held by Reform Senedd members, with Jenner elected to replace Thomas, who became the party's Welsh leader in February. Jenner, originally from Neath and fluent in Welsh, had been serving as deputy leader alongside her role as Member of the Senedd for Bangor Conwy Môn since April. She now leads the largest opposition group in the Senedd.
Written for “Helen Jenner New Leader Reform UK Wales” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 4 other(s) covering the same event.
Mr Thomas was named the party’s Welsh leader in February and led Reform to become the second largest in the Welsh Parliament at an election in May.
uncertain
Thomas → name → May
He said last week he was stepping down for “personal reasons” after he was arrested on suspicion of assault and controlling or coercive behaviour.
asserted
he → say → assault
Ms Jenner, a fluent Welsh speaker and mother-of-two, was born in Neath and raised on Anglesey.
asserted
Jenner → bear → Anglesey
She left Wales to pursue career opportunities, spending a decade living and teaching in the north west of England and in London before returning to Anglesey in 2019.
asserted
She → leave → 2019
She was named deputy leader in April and elected Member of the Senedd for Bangor Conwy Mon at the Welsh Parliament election in May.
uncertain
She → name → May
Ms Jenner will now lead the largest opposition group in the Senedd.
asserted
Jenner → lead → Senedd
In a statement last week, Mr Thomas said: “It has been the honour of my life to have been the leader of Reform Wales and see this party go from zero to 34 elected members and become the largest opposition group in Welsh history.
asserted
party → say → history
“With deep regret, I am now standing down from this position due to personal reasons.
asserted
I → stand → reasons
“Over the weekend, I was reported to the police and was released without charge.
“
asserted
I → report → charge
I stress that I have done nothing wrong, but I do not want the coming headlines to be a distraction from the fantastic work our Senedd team is doing in holding this Government to account.
asserted
team → stress → account
“I will continue to serve my constituents in Casnewydd Islwyn and will fully back whoever the group selects as its next leader.”
asserted
group → continue → leader
“I am sorry for his personal difficulties that he’s going through,” he added.
asserted
he → go → that
“No-one’s life is ever seamless and I am quite sure he will come out of these before too long.
asserted
he → come → these
“But it was pretty much untenable for him to continue as leader.”
asserted
him → continue → leader
Speaking to reporters, he added: “(Mr Thomas) had my support from the start, I think he’s a very competent man.
asserted
he → speak → start
Read More
“I think he was a good leader of this group, I know they’re pretty gutted collectively.”
asserted
they → read → group
He added that he had spoken to Mr Thomas “at length” and said: “I still believe in him in every way.”
asserted
I → add → way
Mr Farage said of Ms Jenner: “I’ve known Helen for many, many years.
“She’s a determined campaigner, someone that I trust, and I think’s going to do a very, very good job.”
asserted
I → say → job
Ms Jenner told the Press Association: “It’s not an ideal situation, in the sense that I didn’t expect Dan Thomas to stand down, we were a good team.
“I was enjoying being deputy but it’s always a sense of duty, and I’m quite happy to have stepped up, it’s quite surreal.
“
asserted
it → tell → duty
I feel like everybody’s uniting behind me, and we can carry on and get a great job done.”
Mr Farage said there would be a vote to choose a new deputy leader on Tuesday morning.
A Welsh Labour spokesperson said: “Just months after the Senedd election, Reform has already seen its leader resign and one of its members leave the party.
“
asserted
one → feel → party
Alongside departures from its council groups in England, that raises serious questions about its stability and ability to deliver for the people it represents.
asserted
it → raise → people
Plaid Cymru MS Rebeca Phillips said: “Reform UK have no interest in making a difference in the lives of people in Wales, and whoever Farage has chosen to be his next Welsh puppet makes no difference to that fact.
“
asserted
chosen → say → fact
While Reform UK in Wales try to appease their London bosses – Plaid Cymru is getting on with taking action on the priorities of the people of Wales, because we are answerable solely to the people of Wales, not Westminster.”
asserted
we → try → Wales
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