Helen Jenner Elected Leader of Reform UK Wales

Reform UK appointed Helen Jenner as its new Welsh leader and group leader in the Senedd on September 21, 2026. Jenner, the Member of the Senedd for Bangor Conwy Môn and former deputy leader, won an internal ballot of 33 Senedd members, defeating Jason O'Connell by a narrow margin of 17 votes to 15. On September 22, Laura Anne Jones, the party's rural affairs spokesperson, was elected as the new deputy leader.

The leadership transition follows the September 15 resignation of Dan Thomas. Thomas stepped down after being arrested by Gwent Police on suspicion of assault and controlling or coercive behavior. While Thomas maintains he has done nothing wrong and was released without charge, national leader Nigel Farage stated it was untenable for him to continue as leader during these domestic disputes.

Farage characterized the turmoil as a bump in the road and expressed support for Thomas, who remains a party member. The leadership change occurs as Reform UK remains the second-largest party in the Senedd following the May 2026 elections, though it has faced recent instability. This includes the defection of a Senedd member to Plaid Cymru and broader investigations by the Metropolitan Police into foreign donations and a parliamentary standards probe into a gift received by Farage.