Reform UK Senedd member Sarah Cooper-Lesadd has defected to Plaid Cymru just four months after winning her seat, issuing a detailed statement that accuses her former party of treating Wales as little more than a platform for Nigel Farage’s UK ambitions. Cooper-Lesadd, who represents Pen-y-bont Bro Morgannwg, announced on 15 September 2026 that she had left Reform UK and joined Plaid Cymru’s Senedd group. Plaid’s national executive committee approved the move the same day. The

Dan Thomas has stepped down as leader of Reform UK in Wales, citing personal reasons after being arrested over the weekend. In a statement released on 15 September 2026, Thomas said it had been “the honour of my life” to lead the party as it grew from no seats to 34 members of the Senedd, becoming the largest opposition group in Welsh history. He added that he was standing down “with deep regret” to avoid becoming a distraction. “Over the weekend, I was reported to the police

The event was billed as preparation for government rather than a traditional rally. Nigel Farage and his frontbench repeatedly framed the next election as imminent and promised to treat the country as being in a national emergency if they win. Nigel Farage announced a 100-day blitz and a national emergency: Farage told delegates he believed there would be an election next year and branded Prime Minister Andy Burnham “the Messiah without a mandate.” He pledged that a Reform go

Reform UK’s largest-ever annual conference kicked off this week in Birmingham, with party leader Nigel Farage and senior figures setting out a detailed vision for how they would govern if they win the next UK general election. The event, running through September 5 at the NEC, has drawn a bigger crowd than last year, including business leaders and international guests such as Jordan Bardella of France’s National Rally. Organizers described the tone as “very serious,” focused

VodafoneThree is hosting a fringe event at Reform UK’s national conference in Birmingham this week, even though the party’s home affairs spokesman threatened last month to imprison the company’s chief executive over SIM cards given to a refugee charity. The conference opened today (3 September) with a new “business day” at the NEC, as Reform tries to present itself as a serious governing force and attract corporate support. VodafoneThree is putting on a panel, alongside think

Reform’s party conference opens tomorrow at the NEC in Birmingham... HERE IS YOUR GO TO GUIDE MAIN SPEECHES Friday and Saturday are on the main stage. Thursday’s business day is all in the Sovereign. Thursday (Businesses ONLY) 11 a.m. Robert Jenrick on the economy. 12:30 p.m. Richard Tice keynote. 3 p.m. Jenrick again, this time with Allister Heath. Friday 11:05 a.m. Tribute to Ann Widdecombe. 11:30 a.m. Lee Anderson 12 p.m. Zia Yusuf 12:30 p.m. Jordan Bardella 3 p.m. Matt Go

Reform UK chairman Lee Anderson has said he will stand down from Parliament after the next general election, describing national politics as a chapter that is coming to a close. In an exclusive interview with The Sun published on 2 September 2026, the 59-year-old Ashfield MP said: “Life’s ebbing away, young man. It’s slipping away so I’m going to try something else.” He added that he wanted “one more term after this, which will take me up to my late 60s,” before turning to ot

Reform UK’s 2026 National Conference takes place from 3–5 September at the NEC in Birmingham, combining a new dedicated Business Day with the main two-day gathering of members, candidates and supporters. reformpartyconference.co.uk The event comes at a pivotal moment. In July 2026 Andy Burnham became Prime Minister after Keir Starmer resigned as Labour leader, creating a “Burnham bounce” that pushed Reform UK into second place in the polls after a long spell at the top. The

In July 2026 the Wokingham Islamic Centre exchanged contracts on the former Ritz cinema and bingo hall on Easthampstead Road, a 20,403 sq ft building roughly 150 metres from Peach Street shops. The group described the purchase as a “permanent home at last” and said it intended to convert the original 716-seat auditorium into a prayer hall, add an education hub for Quran classes, madrasah lessons, youth mentoring and community activities, and create a “vibrant community hub th

A three-month trial placing private security operatives in the town and city centres of Colchester, Chelmsford and Braintree. The stated aim is a visible presence to reassure residents and deter anti-social behaviour as the Home Office expands the nearby Wethersfield asylum accommodation site. The announcement, made on 28 August 2026 by council leader Cllr Peter Harris, comes days after Harris visited the former RAF base. Reform UK took control of Essex County Council in May

On Monday 24 August 2026, as Prime Minister Andy Burnham made his first overseas trip as UK leader to Kyiv, Reform UK’s senior figures found themselves fielding questions about the visit during a press conference focused on domestic housing policy. The event, held in central London and featuring Reform UK Deputy Leader Richard Tice MP (Boston and Skegness) and party Chairman Lee Anderson MP (Ashfield), centred on bold new proposals for social housing. These included prioritis

At Reform’s press conference today, Richard Tice and Lee Anderson were asked of Zia Yusuf: “Do you think he should be spending less time on social media?” After some combative X posts from the Reform ‘Shadow’ Home Secretary… Richard Tice said: “We’re all passionate. Zia is passionate. And we all frankly are furious at how the previous Conservative government, they let us all down because they said they were going to reduce immigration numbers. They didn’t. They opened the doo

Reform UK secured a majority on the council in the 7 May 2026 local elections, winning 53 of 78 seats and ending 25 years of Conservative control. Peter Harris became leader, with Russell Quirk as deputy. The new administration published a formal “Reforming Essex” 100-day plan in early July, focusing on council reform, high-quality services, protecting communities, and economic potential. The Council claims and what the record shows Several items on the graphic align with pu

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has regained his seat as MP for Clacton after winning a highly unusual by-election he forced by resigning last month. He secured 22,239 votes (63.34%) on a turnout of 44.37%, defeating a field of 33 mostly independent and novelty candidates. His nearest rival, the satirical candidate Count Binface, took second place with 9,455 votes (26.93%) — a record performance for the comedian, whose real name is Jonathan Harvey and who campaigns in a trash-c

Farage told the Sun’s political editor Jack Elsom that Zia Yusuf would get a dressing down for referring to former Defence Secretary Ben Wallace as a “traitor” in his X posts last night: “That is too strong language. I shall give him a ticking off… I’ll speak to him today, but it’s over the top.”

Watch a small video of Reform UK's Chairman Lee Anderson as he 'uncovers' the truth about the migrant camps in Calais, France