Welsh Labour attacks appointment of Corey Edwards as adviser to Reform Wales leader after Senedd campaign controversy
REFORM UK in Wales is facing fresh criticism after a former Senedd candidate who stood aside during an election controversy was reportedly appointed to a senior advisory role close to the party’s Welsh leadership.
Corey Edwards, who had been selected as Reform UK’s lead candidate for Pen-y-bont Bro Morgannwg during the Senedd election campaign, stepped back earlier this year after images circulated online appearing to show him making a Nazi salute.
At the time, Edwards denied wrongdoing and said the image had been taken out of context. He claimed it was intended either as a reference to a scene from the comedy series Fawlty Towers or to a well-publicised incident involving Wales goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey.
He later withdrew from the campaign, citing concerns over his mental health.
However, reports from BBC Wales and political news outlet Nation.Cymru now suggest Edwards has returned to frontline politics after being appointed as a senior adviser to Reform Wales leader Dan Thomas.
According to reports, Edwards has been seen inside the Senedd estate and is understood to be working in Thomas’s office in an advisory capacity.
The appointment has sparked criticism from Welsh Labour, which questioned Reform UK’s judgment in handing a senior role to a figure who stepped back during a major public controversy.
A Welsh Labour spokesperson said: “Reform UK didn’t have the decency to deem Corey Edwards unfit to be a candidate. He stepped back himself after the truth came out.
“Now they think he is fit to advise their leader in Wales.
“Reform have shown yet again they haven’t learned their lesson and their values do not align with the people of Wales.”
The development is likely to reignite debate around Reform UK’s vetting procedures in Wales, which came under scrutiny during the Senedd election campaign following several candidate controversies.
Reform UK made major gains in Wales at the Senedd election, becoming one of the largest parties in the chamber and establishing itself as a significant force in Welsh politics.
