**Two Merthyr Councillors Join Reform UK Amid Farage’s Pledge to ‘Rebuild Welsh Industry’**
In a significant move on the Welsh political scene, two councillors from Merthyr Tydfil have defected to Reform UK, the party led by the recently reappointed leader, Nigel Farage. The announcement was made during a high-profile keynote speech delivered by Mr Farage at The Plaza in Port Talbot, drawing a crowd keen to hear the party’s latest vision for Wales.
Andrew Barry, until now an independent councillor who held the finance portfolio at Merthyr Tydfil council, joined his colleague David Hughes, formerly responsible for housing and social services, in committing their support to Reform UK. The decision to switch allegiances comes as the party attempts to establish a firmer foothold in Welsh politics ahead of anticipated gains in the 2026 Senedd election.
During the rally, Mr Farage offered a glimpse into potential cornerstone policies, signalling a desire to resurrect traditional Welsh industries. He told supporters that if Reform UK were to gain influence in Wales, it would seek to restore coal mining in the region and pursue the reopening of Port Talbot’s iconic steelworks, a site pivotal to the local economy and community identity.
In statements following their announcement, both councillors cited frustration with what they perceive as endemic financial mismanagement within local government. Mr Barry lamented that key financial decisions affecting vast sums were being taken by unelected officials, arguing, “I see Reform as the only real opposition in Wales.” Hughes also described repeated instances of “waste” within the council’s operations, particularly regarding procurement, emphasising the need for tighter controls over public spending.
This narrative of challenging bureaucracy and inefficiency echoed throughout Mr Farage’s speech, drawing wry amendments such as suggesting every Welsh council could use “a DOGE”—a reference to a humourous initiative named after the popular meme currency, positioned as a watchdog for wasteful expenditure.
Recent polling in Wales indicates a climate of increasing support for Reform UK, with a YouGov/Barn Cymru survey placing the party second in voting intentions for the next Welsh parliamentary election. While its current presence in Wales is limited to councillors, many analysts now see Reform UK as a genuine contender for Senedd seats—an outcome that would significantly shift the region’s political landscape.
The future of Port Talbot steelworks was also a focal point. Owned by multinational Tata, steelmaking in the area has undergone a major transformation, with the closure of blast furnaces and the ongoing construction of an electric arc facility that will focus on recycling scrap steel. This transition, while heralding modernisation, has resulted in the loss of thousands of jobs—a blow to the local workforce and wider community, sparking debate over the direction of Welsh industrial strategy.
Mr Farage criticised the handling of the situation, arguing that significant government grants had failed to support “real industry.” He contends that Reform UK would redirect economic support away from consultants and non-governmental agencies, channelling funds instead to factories, supply chains, and technical skills development in towns like Llanelli, Shotton and Ebbw Vale.
Adding another layer to the party’s appeal, Reform UK pledges to roll out regional technical colleges to provide young people with accessible routes to skilled trades, counterbalancing what the party describes as “overly academic” pathways often prioritised by policymakers. The party further positions itself as tough on immigration, vowing to refuse the use of Welsh buildings for asylum accommodation and to end support for associated charities, like the Welsh Refugee Council.
As the general election approaches, observers will be watching closely to see whether such promises resonate with voters across Wales’s former industrial heartlands. Should the defectors’ warnings about local government waste and inefficiency prove persuasive, Reform UK may find itself with a newly emboldened Welsh base.
With its populist pitch and promises to revive traditional industry, Mr Farage’s party appears intent on quickening the pace of political realignment in Wales—one that could rewrite the rules for local governance and economic revitalisation in the years to come.