After arrest over assault suspicions, Reform UK leader in Wales steps down: “I have done nothing wrong

Dan Thomas has stepped down as leader of Reform UK in Wales and as leader of the opposition in the Senedd after being arrested on suspicion of assault and controlling behaviour. He has been released on bail without being charged, while the police investigation continues.

His resignation was made public on Tuesday. Thomas, who was elected to the Senedd in May, said he did not want the matter to become “a distraction” from the work of Reform UK’s parliamentary group in Wales.

“Over the weekend, I reported myself to the police and was released without charge. I stress that I have done nothing wrong,” Thomas said. He added that attention should remain focused on the party’s political work.

Gwent Police confirmed that a 45-year-old man from the Aberbargoed area was arrested on Sunday, 13 September. He is suspected of assault and of engaging in controlling or coercive behaviour, and was later released on bail pending further investigation.

Thomas’s departure is considered a significant blow to Reform UK, a party that had committed considerable political resources in Wales to challenge the traditional dominance of the Labour Party.

Nigel Farage appointed Thomas to lead Reform UK in Wales in February. In the elections held in May, the party secured 34 seats in the Senedd and came second behind Plaid Cymru, which won 43 seats.

Although the aim was for Reform UK to become the leading political force in Wales, the result marked a major increase compared with the 2021 election. The party’s electoral support rose from around 1% in 2021 to 29% in 2026.

Thomas was absent on Tuesday from the Senedd’s first plenary session. Initially, the party attributed his absence to “personal reasons”.

Before returning to Wales, his birthplace, Thomas had led Barnet Council in north London. He returned after resigning as a councillor in December.

Within the party, some had interpreted his selection as leader in Wales as a move to distance itself from Reform UK’s former Welsh leader, Nathan Gill. The latter was jailed for corruption after admitting that he had accepted bribes in exchange for pro-Russian statements in the European Parliament.