By Rhiannon James
Copyright standard
Nigel Farage is a “serious threat” to Wales, its health service, and the livelihoods of those working in its public services, Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens has said.
Reform UK “don’t care about Wales”, Ms Stevens said in her speech at the Labour Party conference on Sunday, adding that “they can’t even spell Caerphilly right”.
Welsh First Minister Eluned Morgan also warned that Wales would “fall into chaos” if Plaid Cymru or Reform UK were successful at the Senedd election in May.
Baroness Morgan said: “We’ve seen this play before in Wales.
“Nigel Farage’s Ukip party elected seven members in 2016 and by the end of the term, six of them had left, drawn by infighting, broken promises and internal chaos.”
Ms Stevens said the choice at the Senedd elections would be between “Labour on the side of our people and communities, or those nationalist parties looking to divide and deprive”.
She said: “Farage has turned up in Wales with patronising politics, with disrespect, division and derision for our communities.
“Reform UK don’t care about Wales. They haven’t got any Welsh policies. They haven’t got a Welsh leader. They can’t even spell Caerphilly right.
“But as much as we roll our eyes at their condescending nativist tone, they are a serious threat.
“They’re a threat to our communities, a threat to our NHS and, if you work in Welsh public services, they are a threat to your livelihood.”
Lady Morgan said Plaid Cymru and Reform were “different poison, same bottle”.
She told conference: “Let’s be brutally honest, the polls are not looking good. People are angry. They’re disillusioned.
“Our voice, the voice that’s always fought for them, is getting drowned out by the carnival of charlatans and the circus of snake oil salesmen.
“Now Reform blames foreigners, Plaid blame Westminster – divisive nationalism in different forms. Different poison, same bottle – all with answers that sound brilliant until you ask how: They can’t tell you.”
She said Reform UK were “polishing their wrecking balls” and planned to “flog and frack everything that moves” and “turn Wales into their testing ground for an ideology that puts profits before people”.
She said: “Mark my words, Wales will fall into chaos if either Plaid or Reform wins in May. What we need is experience and stability in an age of instability, and that’s what Welsh Labour can offer.
“So, conference, are we going to stand here and let vultures tear the heart out of all we’ve built?”
