A Reform UK candidate in Wales has become the first from the party to publicly label a social media post by prominent figure Arron Banks as racist.
James Evans, standing for election in the Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd constituency, criticized Banks for his comment on X (formerly Twitter) in response to a Plaid Cymru video featuring a Black community organizer from Cardiff. Banks had written "Welsh lad?" on the post.
Banks, a major donor and vocal supporter of Reform UK, has not responded to requests for comment but previously described the post as a "joke" and accused Plaid Cymru of having "lost their sense of humour."
Party leader Nigel Farage had earlier urged Banks to apologize, calling the post "poor taste." However, Evans went further in an interview with BBC Politics Wales, stating bluntly: "Of course it's racist. He shouldn't be saying these things."
Meanwhile, Dan Thomas, Reform UK's leader in Wales, stopped short of directly condemning Banks' comment. Instead, he emphasized that the party itself is not racist, noting that his own Welsh identity has been questioned by Plaid Cymru supporters.
Political rivals were quick to respond. Plaid Cymru condemned the comment as racist and criticized Farage and Thomas for failing to say so outright, adding that "racism has no place in Wales or society anywhere."
A Welsh Labour spokesperson accused Reform UK of flip-flopping, saying there should be no hesitation in calling out "abhorrent racism."
The Welsh Conservatives welcomed Evans' acknowledgment and stressed the importance of condemning racism and hate.
The Wales Green Party described Banks' remark as a "joke only racists would find funny," while the Liberal Democrats framed it as part of a "worrying pattern of behaviour" from Reform UK representatives, predicting voters would reject the party's "politics of division" in upcoming elections.