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Ex-UKIP leader in palliative care days after standing in election

David DeansWales political reporter
News imageBBC Caroline Jones is wearing a blue shirt while standing in a streetBBC
Caroline Jones quit as a Reform candidate in the lead-up to the Senedd election

A former UKIP leader is receiving palliative care after being diagnosed with severe sepsis, just days after standing in the Senedd election.

Caroline Jones was a member of Wales' parliament from 2016 to 2021 for UKIP and then the Brexit Party before standing as an independent in last week's vote.

She had originally been announced as a Reform UK candidate, but quit Nigel Farage's party in April claiming the party had ignored grassroots members.

Her husband, Alun Williams, wrote on social media that her family was "trying to come to terms with everything while making sure Caroline is comfortable and surrounded by love".

'Strong community connection'

"It is with heavy hearts that I must share that Caroline Jones is currently receiving palliative care following a diagnosis of severe sepsis," he said.

"It is sudden and unexpected, painful to say the least. She cared so deeply and passionately for people and always wanted to help others."

Jones had hoped to stand in Pen-y-Bont Bro Morgannwg - which covers Bridgend and the Vale of Glamorgan - for Reform, but was selected as a third-place candidate out of six in Pontypridd Cynon Merthyr instead.

"[Reform] assured me [third on the list] would get in, and so on," she told BBC Wales in April. "But, to be perfectly honest, it was alien to me, Pontypridd.

"I have no affinity with it and I believe every candidate should have a strong connection with their community before they stand in it."

News imageGetty Images Nathan Gill, Mark Reckless, Nigel Farage, Mandy Jones, Caroline Jones and David Rowlands stand next to each other outside the Senedd.Getty Images
Jones (second from right) was a Brexit Party politician under then-leader Nigel Farage, pictured outside the Senedd next to then-members Nathan Gill and Mark Reckless

Jones instead decided to stand as an independent for Pen-y-Bont Bro Morgannwg and was present at the count at Barry Leisure Centre last week.

Her bid wasn't successful, with three Plaid Cymru members, two Reform and one Labour MS getting elected instead.

She was first elected to the Senedd to represent South Wales West in 2016 as part of a UKIP group of seven - then a historic breakthrough for the party.

During her time in Cardiff Bay she successfully ousted Neil Hamilton from the leadership of the Senedd's UKIP group.

Jones was one of the group's three leaders, later joined the Brexit Party, and was briefly leader of the small Independent Alliance for Reform group.