Nigel Farage has confirmed he will not be standing as a candidate in next year’s Senedd elections, despite Reform UK’s ambitions to secure the most seats in the Welsh Parliament.
The Clacton MP made his position clear during an interview with ITV Cymru’s Sharp End programme, stating: “I’m not Welsh, so it’s not going to be me.”
Farage revealed he would temporarily lead Reform into the campaign until a Welsh leader is appointed, saying he would “kick it off absolutely” but dismissed the idea of becoming a candidate simply to participate in televised debates.
“No, I don’t intend to do that, that would be playing the game in the most cynical way and I’m not going to do it,” he told the programme.
Recent polls have shown a tight race between Labour, Plaid Cymru and Reform UK, with one poll last week suggesting Plaid Cymru were pulling ahead while Farage’s party moved into second place ahead of Labour.
While analysts suggest Reform’s support largely comes from former Conservative voters, Farage maintains his party is also attracting Labour supporters.
“I’ve got evidence from strong Labour areas in England that on 1 May what happened was people were motivated to go out and vote Reform, turnouts were higher than people thought they were going to be,” he said.
The Reform UK leader expressed confidence in his party’s Welsh ambitions: “The national elections in Wales are our priority. We intend to come first… we’re going to fight to win.” 💪
Reform UK currently has no leader in Wales and no representation in the Senedd.
The Senedd elections will take place on 7 May 2026, with significant changes to the electoral system. The number of Members of the Senedd (MSs) will increase from 60 to 96, with 16 constituencies each electing 6 MSs.
Political experts believe this new voting system could result in Reform UK gaining representation in the Welsh Parliament for the first time.
