In a stunning display of basic human decency, a Reform UK candidate has described a social media post by prominent party figure Arron Banks as racist. James Evans, running for the Welsh Parliament, became the first member of the party to utter the R-word about his colleague's online antics.
Banks, who is apparently the party's designated 'outspoken supporter,' posted 'Welsh lad?' on X in response to a Plaid Cymru video featuring a black community organiser in Cardiff. When asked for comment, Banks initially claimed it was 'a joke' and that Plaid Cymru had 'lost their sense of humour' - a defence so tired it should be pensioned off.
Party leader Nigel Farage previously suggested Banks should apologise for his 'poor taste' post, which is a bit like saying the Titanic had a slight navigation issue. Evans went further, telling BBC Politics Wales: 'Of course it's racist. He shouldn't be saying these things.'
Meanwhile, Dan Thomas, the Welsh leader of Reform, has been doing his best impression of a man trying to avoid a direct question. When asked whether he distanced himself from Banks' post, Thomas instead shared his own tales of woe: 'I've had my Welshness questioned by supporters of Plaid Cymru. They've called me a plastic Taffy because I happened to live in England.' So the party's position seems to be: yes, the comment was racist, but also, people have been mean to us.
Plaid Cymru was having none of it, stating: 'Arron Banks' comment was racist, yet Farage and his man in Wales, Dan Thomas, still refuse to say as such. Racism has no place in Wales or society anywhere, and we'll keep calling it out.' Welsh Labour chimed in with: 'Another flip-flop from Reform UK. There should be no qualms about calling out this abhorrent racism. Wales can't risk the community division that Reform brings.'
The Welsh Conservatives, in a rare moment of cross-party agreement, welcomed Evans' acknowledgment and noted that 'racism and hate have no place in our society.' The Welsh Liberal Democrats and Wales Green Party have yet to respond, presumably because they're still recovering from the shock of a Reform politician saying something sensible.