The frontrunners to be Reform UK's leader in Wales

Reform UK will hold a press conference in Wales this week, with Nigel Farage returning to the ICC in Newport for a members-only ticket event. It's being widely briefed he will use his time in Wales to announce a Welsh leader, and maybe even some candidates.

Reform UK is polling well ahead of the devolved elections on May 7, however the most recent poll showed their seemingly ever increasing boom was slowing somewhat. In a poll in September 2025, the party was almost level pegging with Plaid Cymru - which was the party way out in front of Labour.

By January's poll, Plaid had pulled out in front, while Reform UK had dropped back. Academics put that down to two main things, one, that they are taking Conservative votes - of which there are declining number in Wales, but also Reform UK's biggest chunk of support came from people that previously haven't voted, as awareness of the election grows and those people make their minds up, the party could see its numbers stall. There are also questions about whether party scandals, its performance in English councils, and a lack of Welsh leader, policy or candidates is harming the party.

Time is also running out - there are now less than 100 days to go until voting day, and candidates names have to be in the hat by the beginning of April, according to electoral rules.

While the party could pick anyone it wants as a leader, there are some names circulating as potential runners and riders..

Jason O'Connell

Rating: Quite possibly

Jason O'Connell has been one of Reform UK's most regular media performers in Wales in recent weeks, and fronted a recent party political broadcast, adding to speculation he could land the top job.

A councillor for Llantarnam in Torfaen, he is listed on his council register of interests as a program manager and with appointments at American-based energy company Enerysys. He was elected to the council in a by-election in 2023 as an independent councillor, having served as a councillor councillor for five years before losing his seat in Cwmbran’s Greenmeadow ward.

When elected in 2023, he said he didn't believe party politics had a place on councils. "Local politics has no place for political parties," he said. "People realised local elections are about local politics. What Keir Starmer or Rishi Sunak do doesn’t have any influence on education in Torfaen for example," he said.

"I spent a few months in the Conservative Party and left pretty much soon afterwards when I realised I’d made a mistake,” he said. “I apologised and held my hands up and it’ll not be repeated".

He did not, at that time, have any intention of joining a political group. "It’s not something that’s been discussed or I’ve given any thought or time to. I don’t want to get into any political games at the Civic Centre.," he said, then joining Reform UK in August 2024.

He's working in the Senedd for Reform's sole MS, Laura Anne Jones. He was asked if he wanted to be leader on the BBC's Sunday Politics programme he said he quite fancied the gig.

Mark Reckless

Rating: Possible

Mark Reckless, who was one of the Ukip class of 2016 in the-then National Assembly of Wales has certainly tried a number of political parties - he's variously been in the Conservatives, the Brexit Party, an independent, and Abolish the Assembly. But he is now a Reform member.

A common thread through his various political affiliations is his loyalty to Nigel Farage, and has been at the Reform UK founder's side long before the current crop of defectors.

A former lawyer who has held roles in finance too he is in the Farage mould and, another thing in his favour is that he has been in the Senedd before, and that experience could be vital if Reform UK deliver a group of politicians to the Welsh Parliament.

We understand he's also been working on policies too for Reform UK's Senedd bid, putting him in a central role at a crucial time.

Jake Berry

Rating: Possible

A former Conservative MP who represented Rossendale and Darwen from 2010 to 2024, SIr Jake Berry is now a Reform member. During the pandemic, he courted controversy after going to what was described as his holiday home on Ynys Mon. There was questions about whether he was following the rules.

The then-MP Virginia Crosbie came to his defence saying the family had been on the island since before lockdown.

The reason the home is important is that one of the rule changes coming into force for the Senedd is that candidates will need which is that all candidates need to be registered as a local government elector in Wales.

Sir Jake wrote an article for the Sun when he defected saying Reform was a "better way" than "old Westminster politics".

He said he was backing Reform “because I’ve always believed that change comes with challenging the old order. In shaking up the system when it isn’t working.”

There have however been rebuttals of previous suggestions he could end up as a Senedd candidate, or leader.

Sarah Atherton

Rating: Possible

The former MP for Wrexham is another former Tory who has joined the party. Widely respected for her work on behalf of the armed forces during her time in Parliament, she is another confident speaker who would bring experience to the role.

Born in Bangor, she served in the Intelligence Corps and then worked as a nurse, district nurse and social worker. She was the first female Welsh Conservative MP elected to the Commons.

She is prolifically sharing images and support for Reform UK on her social media.

Laura Anne Jones

Rating: Possible

Currently the party's only Senedd member, Laura Anne Jones defected from the Conservatives in July last year. At the time she was welcomed by Nigel Farage with plenty of photographs and attention, allegations about racism and expenses were hanging over her head, but she said she was confident she would be cleared.

Standards commissioner Douglas Bain was investigating a three-part complaint against the regional MS. Firstly, that Ms Jones had made fraudulent fuel claims, that she made a racist comment and failed to address discriminatory behaviour, and that she failed to act in accordance with the code of conduct when dismissing an employee.

He rejected the complaint about fuel claims, saying he accepted that Ms Jones' account was the most likely, and he said that it should not be his role to investigate the complainant's dismissal by Ms Jones, but upheld the complaint about Ms Jones' WhatsApp messages.

When the cross-party Senedd standards committee reported its findings, it recommended she be suspended from the Senedd, and her colleagues agreed, and she faced a two week suspension - something that would have led to her facing a recall if she had been an MP, or if the Senedd had a recall provision.

She apologised for her language.

Questions have also been raised about claims she made when a sales rep for Forever Living Products from 2013 to 2016 about cancer risks.

A polished speaker, enthusiastic social media performer, and experienced Senedd member, there is plenty of potential for her to be the face of Reform UK in Wales, but as the party tries to solidify its position as a serious political force, there are questions about whether it could appoint someone who has been found to use racist language as its leader.

James Evans

Rating: Possible, but unlikely

The Brecon and Radnorshire Senedd member was thrown out of the Conservative Party just days ago having told his then-group leader, Darren MIllar, that he had been approached by Reform UK.

Mr Millar's version of events was that he had asked Mr Evans to commit to the party and he would not. Mr Evans said he was asked to leave "primarily because I raised serious concerns about the refusal of the UK Conservative Party to recognise the reality that our country is broken

"I believe Britain is broken. I was asked not to say this and instead to support a position that the UK is not broken. I could not, in all conscience, support a position that I believe is not true."

In his Facebook post - he did not respond to requests for an interview - he said he would make a "decision on my political future shortly, based on what is in the best interests of my family, my constituents and the people of Wales".

He has not yet updated his position but is a well-known and confident speaker, however if he arrived in the party and was immediately made leader it would likely ruffle feather. The day after he left the Tories, Nigel Farage too had said he had not spoken to him directly in some time.

David Jones

Rating: Almost certainly not

The party's most experienced Welsh figure, the former Welsh Secretary defected from the Tories after many months of rumours swirling around political circles. But, he, we understand, has no desire to re-enter frontline politics, so he would be an unlikely leader, but one people in Reform UK would be happy to persuade.

David Thomas

Rating: Impossible

David Thomas is the leader of the Reform UK Wales group on Torfaen Borough Council. He, along with two other formerly independent councillors, joined Reform shortly after the 2024 general election becoming the first representatives for the party at a council level in Wales.

He represents the Llantarnam ward on the borough council, he was elected as an independent candidate to represent the Two Locks ward on the community council in a by-election in September 2023. 

However, in January 2026, he was removed from the community council role for not attending meetings. He attributed his failure to attend community council meetings to his time being "increasingly stretched".

He found himself in the headlines after his life as a rave DJ Dowster came to light. He distanced himself from songs with lewd lyrics despite being credited online as one of the "composers". Councillor David Thomas was not involved in creating songs such as P***ystomp but did post them online, according to his political party.

Cllr Thomas has confirmed that he will not be contesting the upcoming Senedd elections in May, having previously announced his decision not to run on social media platform X.

Matthew MacKinnon

Rating: Possible

Reform UK's director of external affairs, Matthew Mackinnon from mid-Wales, is exceptionally close to those at the top of the Reform UK hierarchy - including Nigel Farage, and he is a valued counsel to the Reform UK leader, who few doubt will keep a very close eye on the team in Wales.

MacKinnon was a big player in the Vote Leave campaign in Wales, being the regional director here. He then set up a think tank billed as "a pro-Brexit Welsh think-tank, which advocates a positive vision for Wales outside the European Union." That was set up with Ed Sumner, the head of communications at Reform UK - and a fellow ex-Conservative.

He's previously been a press officer for former Welsh Tory MP Chris Davies, and worked for the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society.

However, will his youthful indiscretions in 2012 - when he got a football banning order - be the type of thing that could stand against him? And does he have any desire to move from the sidelines into the frontline of elected politics.