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Reform UK’s Senedd by-election candidate has denied he was aware of his former boss taking bribes – and has called those who questioned him “despicable”.

Llŷr Powell, who wants to be Caerphilly’s next Senedd Member, is a former employee of disgraced politician Nathan Gill, who last week admitted taking bribes to make pro-Russia statements while he was a Member of the European Parliament.

Gill, the former leader of Reform UK in Wales and ex-UKIP and Brexit Party Senedd Member, pleaded guilty to eight counts of bribery between December 2018 and July 2019. He denied one charge of conspiracy to commit bribery.

Mr Powell worked as a constituency caseworker for Gill, but had left his employment in 2017 – before the bribery allegations took place.

Over the past week, Mr Powell has faced strong calls to declare exactly what he knew about Gill’s wrongdoing.

Labour candidate Richard Tunnicliffe wrote an open letter asking Mr Powell what he knew, and when, about the charges against Gill.

Labour’s First Minister Eluned Morgan went further and concurred with Welsh Conservative leader Darren Millar when he asked her if she agreed that “Reform is a clear and present danger to our national security”.

She said: “This is really serious stuff, and I do think that there are questions to answer by people, not least Reform’s candidate in the Caerphilly by-election, Llŷr Powell, who was employed as an adviser to Gill.

“I think we need to know what did he know, when did he know it, and did he report it?”

However, in an interview with ITV Wales’ Rob Osborne following the questioning, Mr Powell passionately defended himself – and labelled Gill’s actions as “abhorrent”, “deeply upsetting”, and a “complete and utter betrayal”.

Mr Powell accused opponents of a “smear campaign” and told ITV Wales: “Firstly I think the opponents are despicable in trying to suggest I knew anything like that, it’s all about a campaign, and let’s be clear I’m not going into the gutter like they are right now.”

Caerphilly’s by-election candidates

• Welsh Liberal Democrats – Steve Aicheler
• Gwlad – Anthony Cook
• Wales Green Party – Gareth Hughes
• Welsh Conservatives – Gareth Potter
• Reform UK – Llŷr Powell
• UKIP – Roger Quilliam
• Richard Tunnicliffe – Labour
• Lindsay Whittle – Plaid Cymru