Reform candidate brands Banks' comment racist
15 minutes ago
Share
Save
Add as preferred on Google
Teleri Glyn Jones
BBC Wales
Getty Images
Arron Banks says his social media post was a "joke" and Plaid Cymru has "lost their sense of humour"
A social media post by prominent member of Reform UK Arron Banks was racist, a Welsh election candidate for the party has said.
James Evans said it was wrong and became the first Reform figure to call it racist.
Arron Banks, an outspoken supporter of the party, posted "Welsh lad?" on X in response to a Plaid Cymru video which was fronted by a black community organiser in Cardiff.
Banks hasn't responded to a request for comment but had said
previously that it was a "joke"
and Plaid Cymru had "lost their sense of humour".
Plaid Cymru said "racism has no place in Wales or society".
Allow
X
content?
This article contains content provided by
X
. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read
X’s cookie policy
and
privacy policy
before accepting. To view this content choose
‘accept and continue’
.
Accept and continue
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. X content may contain adverts.
Party leader
Nigel Farage previously said Banks should apologise
for his "poor taste" post.
When asked about it, Evans went further, telling
BBC Politics Wales
: "Of course it's racist. He shouldn't be saying these things."
Meanwhile, Dan Thomas, the Welsh leader of Reform, did not
directly respond to questions this week
when asked whether or not he distanced himself from Banks' post on X, but did say his party was not racist.
"I've had my Welshness questioned by supporters of Plaid Cymru," said Thomas.
"They've called me a plastic Taffy because I happened to live in England."
Plaid Cymru said: "Arron Banks' comment was racist, yet Farage and his man in Wales, Dan Thomas, still refuse to say as such.
"Racism has no place in Wales or society anywhere, and we'll keep calling it out."
A Welsh Labour spokesperson said: "Another flip-flop from Reform UK.
"There should be no qualms about calling out this abhorrent racism. Wales can't risk the community division that Reform brings."
The Welsh Liberal Democrats, Wales Green Party and the Welsh Conservatives have been approached for comment.
A full list of candidates in the Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd constituency can be found
here
.
A simple guide to every new constituency
What does the Senedd do?
How the new voting system works
Who can I vote for in my area?
Who should I vote for? Compare party policies
More top stories
Will an M4 relief road ever be given the green light?
People go private for weight-loss jabs amid 10-year NHS waiting lists
Matthew Rhys says his only hope was the army – but it didn't want him
Wales
Welsh Parliament election 2026
Arron Banks
Reform UK