Reform's Arron Banks says message that sparked racism claim was joke

Reform's Arron Banks says message that sparked racism claim was joke
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Gareth Lewis
Wales political editor
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Arron Banks was a prominent Brexit campaigner and a major donor to UKIP
A prominent member of Reform UK has claimed that a comment he made on social media that sparked accusations of racism was a "joke".
Arron Banks posted "Welsh Lad?" on X in response to a Plaid Cymru video on the platform fronted by a black community organiser from Butetown in Cardiff.
Plaid Cymru's Commons leader Liz Saville Roberts claimed that Banks thought "black people can't be Welsh".
Banks told BBC Wales that Plaid had lost their sense of humour.
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Banks stood for Reform in the West of England mayoral election in 2025, narrowly losing out to Labour.
He was previously a major donor to UKIP and helped Nigel Farage's campaign for the UK to leave the EU.
He is not standing in the 2026 Senedd election.
BBC Wales asked Banks if he could explain what he meant with his comment and whether he wanted to respond to Saville Roberts.
He said: "It was a joke.
"Plaid have understandably lost their sense of humour.
"Plaid always say that Wales is only for the Welsh, and anti-English."
PA Media
Liz Saville Roberts accused Arron Banks of racism
Saville Roberts had written on X: "Reform donor and 2025 candidate for the West of England mayoral election thinks black people can't be Welsh.
"Racism is rife within Reform. We must stop them from being the largest party in the Senedd."
In a statement, Reform UK Cymru referred to
issues Plaid had encountered
with some of its own candidates and added that "this hypocrisy from Plaid is getting really tiresome".
Reform did not comment on the post specifically.
BBC Wales was told that Banks is a member of Reform but is not a spokesperson and he does not hold any position within the party.
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