Farage promises to break-up ‘status quo’ on Caerphilly visit

There was plenty of interest from people when Reform UK leader Nigel Farage visited Caerphilly and went on a walkabout through the town centre visiting several businesses.

Speaking to several national and local media outlets – including Caerphilly Observer – Mr Farage distanced himself from former party leader in Wales Nathan Gill, who has admitted taking bribes to make pro-Russian statements.

Last month Gill pleaded guilty to eight counts of bribery between December 6, 2018 and July 18, 2019 – while he was a member of the European Parliament.

The controversy has become an issue in the by-election because Reform’s candidate Llŷr Powell used to work for Gill.

Mr Powell’s employment with Gill ended in December 2017, before the offences were committed.

Mr Farage told BBC Wales that he had been left “stunned” when he found out about Gill’s charges and had warned the former Senedd Member for North Wales not to go to Ukraine, where he is said to have met Ukrainian politician Oleg Voloshyn and took money from him to make pro-Russian statements.

The Reform UK leader said: “I didn’t know anything about it.

“All I knew was that he’d been to Ukraine. He said ‘we’re going on a visit to Ukraine, do you want to come?’

“I said ‘you’re off your rocker, this is one of the most corrupt countries in the world, you must be mad’. And I told him not to go.

“He defied me and went. I was completely unaware of any statements that he made.”

In other comments to WalesOnline, Mr Farage said he had been let down by Gill, who he described as a “devout Christian”.

Speaking to Caerphilly Observer, Mr Farage praised his Caerphilly candidate and said: “I haven’t been here every day, but I do have daily reports, and what I can see is that he is working very hard.”

Asked why he thought people connected with Reform UK, he replied: “The big picture is do you stick with what you’ve had.

“Labour has been here since the end of the First World War, but equally Plaid have been quite a presence in terms of devolved government in Wales for over 26 years.

“It’s a question of do you stick with what you know, or do you say ‘no, the status quo isn’t working’.”

Asked what a post-status quo world looked like, Mr Farage said it would depend on numbers after May’s election.

He added: “What happens here on October 23 is going to be a very important indicator of what might happen next May.”

Mr Powell has promised not to vote for any Welsh Budget that includes money for the Welsh Government’s Nation of Sanctuary policy and is demanding cash to upgrade Ysbyty Ystrad Fawr’s Minor Injuries Unit to a full Accident and Emergency department.

Twelve years ago, local campaigners for an A&E were told it would never happen because of the way NHS services were structured in Wales – a country with a disparate and mainly rural population.

Caerphilly Observer reported at the time that centralisation of services under the then South Wales Programme was designed to improve care by having a critical mass of patients to ensure doctors maintain their skills.

The problem with that however is that people have real issues getting to various hospitals for treatment – especially with poor public transport links.

Mr Powell said: “Right now that hospital needs to be put to better use for its size and the amount of money that’s already gone into it.

“Sending people up to the Grange or over to the Royal Gwent in Newport, is not adequate at the moment and that’s why I’m making it front and centre.”

However he admitted that he would not be prepared to compromise on the budget, even if that meant further cuts to services.

He said: “That’s not on me. That’s up to Labour who wants to continue wasteful spending and what I’m seeing from the people of Caerphilly is to negotiate in that manner.”

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