Reform's Wales leader says he would consider a donation from a criminal for security

Reform's Welsh leader says he would consider a donation from a criminal if he "badly" needed it for security.

Dan Thomas has given his backing to Nigel Farage, who plans to resign to trigger a by-election after a report said the Reform UK leader took assistance from a convicted criminal before the 2024 general election.

Thomas said he did not know the "ins and outs", but said he could see why someone would take a donation to ensure their family's safety.

The Sunday Times reported George Cottrell provided support to Farage, including security and social media staff. Cottrell's lawyers said he disputed the allegations in the report, which they described as "false and misleading".

Reform said no rules had been broken.

Plaid Cymru's Liz Saville Roberts accused Farage of "pandering to his own ego and squandering taxpayers' money in the process".

Asked about the Cottrell report, Thomas said: "I don't know the ins and outs of these donations.

"I do know that Nigel needs 24-hour security. I've been out there on a campaign trail with him. He needs it, it's not cheap."

When he was asked if he would have accepted money from a convicted criminal to help with his security, he said: "Well, if it was the only option for me to have security that I badly needed, I would consider it, yes.

"I've been in a similar position at times during the Welsh campaign where my family were under threat.

"So I can see why somebody would take a donation to make sure that they and their family were safe."

Asked if the story passed the 'sniff test', he added: "Yeah, it does. I absolutely support Nigel 100%."

Thomas said Farage was "doing the right thing".

"He's bringing this issue to a head. He's faced an onslaught in the media. It's now affecting his family," he added.

"He's putting his personal reputation, his political integrity, to the people of Clacton, and the people who he represents."

He said the public was "fed up of this continuous onslaught with Nigel".

"They've gone after him with what he said when he was 15, now they are going at him on this."

Saville Roberts said: "By calling for a by-election, Reform UK's leader is only pandering to his own ego, and squandering taxpayers' money in the process.

"Peel away the rhetoric, and today's attention-seeking exercise is little more than a last-ditch attempt at gaming the system in order to scuttle away from the cold light of impartial scrutiny."