Nigel Farage has insisted his party’s former leader in Wales who was convicted of taking pro-Russian bribes was a “bad apple” who betrayed him.
The Reform UK leader was in Caerphilly campaigning for his candidate in a forthcoming Senedd byelection when he was asked about his links to Nathan Gill.
Gill, who led Reform UK in Wales in 2021, last month admitted taking bribes to make statements in favour of Vladimir Putin’s Russia while he was a member of the European parliament.
His activities were said to include making pro-Russian statements about events in Ukraine in the European parliament and in opinion pieces to news outlets.
Questioned by reporters before walking through Caerphilly town centre, Farage said he was shocked by Gill’s admissions. He said: “Any political party can find in their midst all sorts of terrible people.
“Gill is particularly shocking because I knew him as a devout Christian, very clean-living, honest person. So I’m deeply shocked. But you know, that is a different time. I’m the only one [in Reform] that really knew him, going back a long way.”
Challenged on his judgment of character, Farage said: “Have you ever been let down by a person? Have you been let down and betrayed?”
Gill, 52, pleaded guilty last month to eight counts of bribery between 6 December 2018 and 18 July 2019.
He was leader of Reform UK Wales from March to May 2021.
Farage said: “Every single political party has a bad apple. In fact, many families finish up with a bad apple, these things happen”
Farage and Reform UK have come under fire for not having a current leader in Wales despite heavily campaigning in the country and polls showing they are on course to win a signficant number of seats in the Senedd elections of 2026.
Asked when a Welsh leader would be appointed, he said “hundreds” had applied to run for Reform UK in the Senedd and the party was in the process of making selections for their candidates, and that a Welsh leader would be selected in due course.
Farage walked down Cardiff Road through the town centre, past Caerphilly Castle and a statue of one of the town’s most famous sons, fez-wearing comedian Tommy Cooper.
Retired couple Rob and Susan Pascoe were enjoying coffee outside Rosita’s cafe when Farage stopped by. Both 67, they plan to vote for Reform in the byelection and posed for photos with Farage.
“We’re desperate for change here after all these years of Labour,” Mr Pascoe said, praising Farage for his “honest” approach. “It’s not all about the boats,” he added, alluding to the small boats crisis in the Channel. “But 19 were flown out yesterday and 1,200 came in the last week.”
His wife said she respected Farage for coming to the town. “Where’s Keir Starmer? Where is he? I had a few young Labour campaigners knock on my door, I asked them: ‘Why are you doing this? Where is Keir Starmer?’”
