Dan Thomas
Reform UK MS for Casnewydd Islwyn and former leader of Reform UK in Wales.
Dan Thomas resigned as Reform UK's Welsh leader on 15 September 2026 after Gwent Police arrested him; released on bail without charge, he denies wrongdoing and keeps his Casnewydd Islwyn seat.
Last refreshed: 7 October 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
What role will Dan Thomas play in the Senedd after resigning as Reform's Welsh leader?
Timeline for Dan Thomas
Resigned as leader of Reform UK in Wales
UK Local Elections 2026: Rhun ap Iorwerth sets six goals for WalesMentioned in: Welsh Labour at 12%, lowest since 1906
UK Local Elections 2026Defended Reform's immigration position as voicing public concerns
UK Local Elections 2026: Welsh leaders debates expose immigration paradoxBackground
Dan Thomas is a Reform UK Member of the Senedd for Casnewydd Islwyn, one of six members returned there in May 2026. He led Reform UK in Wales from 5 February to 15 September 2026, steering it through the first Senedd election held under proportional representation.
Born in Blackwood, Caerphilly, he moved to London in 1999 and spent more than twenty years in financial services and Conservative politics. He sat on Barnet Council from 2006 to 2025 and led it from 2019 to 2022, and twice stood for the Conservatives in Islwyn, in 2010 and 2017. He joined Reform UK in June 2025.
He stepped down as Welsh leader after his arrest by Gwent Police in September 2026. He has not been charged and denies wrongdoing. Helen Jenner, the MS for Bangor Conwy Môn, replaced him.
Thomas quits the leadership after arrest
Thomas took over Reform UK's Welsh operation on 5 February 2026 and fronted it through the April leaders' debates. He won a seat in May, when Reform became the main opposition party and he its Senedd leader.
His resignation on 15 September also ended his time as Leader of the Opposition. Gwent Police had arrested him; he was released on bail without charge and said he had "done nothing wrong". Reform's 33 MSs, without a ballot of members, chose his deputy Helen Jenner as successor on 21 September by 17 votes to 15 over Jason O'Connell. Thomas stays on the Reform benches as one of the six members for Casnewydd Islwyn.