The Guardian
· collected 2026-09-21 · by Ben Quinn Political correspondent
Nigel Farage announced Helen Jenner as the new leader of Reform UK in Wales following Dan Thomas's arrest for suspicion of assault and controlling behavior. Jenner, who previously served as deputy leader, replaces Thomas, whose brief tenure ended abruptly last week. Despite the setback, Farage stated that the party will continue its work without disruption while awaiting Thomas’s return to active leadership.
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.
Nigel Farage dismissed the loss of Reform UK’s leader in Wales last week as a “bump in the road”, as the party unveiled a replacement.
asserted
party → dismiss → replacement
Helen Jenner becomes Reform UK’s new leader in Wales after Dan Thomas stood down last Tuesday after he was arrested on suspicion of assault and controlling or coercive behaviours.
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he → become → assault
Jenner, who was previously Reform’s deputy leader in Wales, joined Farage on the steps of the Senedd, where he said the party would “carry on as if nothing has happened”.
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nothing → join → Senedd
Thomas announced last week that he was standing down after his arrest on suspicion of assault and controlling or coercive behaviour.
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he → announce → assault
He has been bailed and insists he has done nothing wrong.
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he → bail → nothing
The former Tory councillor, who remains a member of the Welsh parliament, was only announced as Reform’s Welsh leader by Farage in February.
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who → remain → February
Jenner is from Neath, near Port Talbot in south Wales, and represents Bangor Conwy Môn in the Senedd.
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Jenner → represent → Senedd
Paying tribute to Thomas, Farage said: “I am sorry for his personal difficulties that he is going through.
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he → pay → that
No one’s life is ever seamless and I am quite sure he will come out of these before too long.
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he → come → these
“But it was pretty much untenable for him to continue as leader while he had these domestic disputes, so we very quickly and rapidly have moved to electing a new leader.”
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we → continue → leader
Farage confirmed that elections for a new Reform deputy leader in Wales would take place, adding: “We will carry on as if nothing has happened, waiting for Dan who is going to stay a member of this place, to come back more actively with us.
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who → confirm → us
“We could have done without this bump in the road.
uncertain
We → do → road
But it has happened, we are making the best of it.”
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we → happen → it
Thomas issued a statement last Tuesday after intense speculation about his future, saying that he had been reported to the police the previous weekend and was released without charge.
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he → issue → 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,” he added.
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he → stress → account
Gwent police said that a 45-year-old man from the Aberbargoed area was arrested on 13 September “on suspicion of assault and engaging in controlling/coercive behaviour.
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man → say → behaviour
He has been bailed pending further inquiries”.
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He → bail → inquiries
While Thomas was perceived by some as having been parachuted in from Reform headquarters in London, which caused tensions, Jenner is a Welsh speaker who has a track record of having been involved with Farage’s parties and was elected to her new role by colleagues.
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who → perceive → colleagues
One other candidate stood although it was not made public who they were.
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they → stand → ?
She takes charge at a time when Reform is hoping to consolidate and build on its gains in Senedd elections earlier this year.
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Reform → take → elections
It emerged as the second largest party, largely at the expense of the Conservatives and Labour.
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It → emerge → Conservatives
However, she also takes charge of the party in Wales after it was rocked not only by the loss of Thomas but also the defection of another of its Senedd members, Sarah Cooper-Lesadd, to Plaid Cymru, which holds power.
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which → take → power
Her departure sparked fury in Reform, with the party’s deputy leader, Richard Tice, accusing her of lying to them about her political beliefs.
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leader → spark → beliefs
Plaid Cymru said Cooper-Lesadd had been “honest about her political beliefs” and that her views had changed.
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views → say → beliefs
Cooper-Lesadd, who was elected to the Pen-y-bont Bro Morgannwg constituency, claimed that Reform UK was “far more interested in division, opposition and headlines than in finding solutions”.
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UK → elect → solutions
Before Thomas took up the post, Nathan Gill, who briefly led Reform UK in Wales in 2021, was jailed for 10 and a half years in 2025 for taking bribes to make statements in favour of Russia when he was an MEP.
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he → take → Russia
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