Helen Jenner Elected Reform Wales Leader After Dan Thomas Arrest

Helen Jenner was elected leader of Reform UK in Wales on Monday, September 21, replacing Dan Thomas after his arrest on suspicion of assault and controlling or coercive behaviour. Jenner, 33 Senedd members voted in a close contest that saw her defeat colleague Jason O’Connell. She becomes the third Reform leader in Wales in recent months, following the party’s rise to become the largest opposition group in the Welsh Parliament.

How Jenner won the vote

A leadership vote was held by Reform’s 33 Senedd members on Monday morning. Jenner confirmed that her colleague Jason O’Connell had stood against her. The party did not publish exact figures, but BBC Wales was told the vote was believed to be close. O’Connell’s candidacy was unexpected, and there was no vote of the wider party membership. Nigel Farage announced on the steps of the Senedd that a vote for a new Welsh deputy leader would be held on Tuesday.

From teacher to politician

Jenner, 47, was born in Neath and moved to Anglesey aged two. She studied English literature at Bangor University and spent 15 years as a teacher, including a decade at the Brit School for the performing arts in south London, where Adele and Amy Winehouse studied. Before entering politics, she sang in a punk rock band called The Mephs. Her father’s membership in UKIP and watching Nigel Farage on YouTube sparked her political interest. She became a UKIP member and stood for Farage’s Brexit Party in the 2019 Senedd election.

Why Thomas stepped down

Dan Thomas was named Reform’s Welsh leader in February 2026 and led the party to become the second largest in the Welsh Parliament at the May election. He stepped down last week after his arrest on suspicion of assault and controlling or coercive behaviour. Thomas was released without charge and denies wrongdoing. In a statement, he said he did not want the headlines to distract from the party’s work holding the Welsh Government to account.

Reform’s troubled Welsh leadership

Jenner is the third Reform leader in Wales within months. Nathan Gill, the previous leader, was sentenced to 10 and a half years in prison on eight counts of taking £40,000 in bribes to make statements in support of Russia. Despite these setbacks, Reform became the largest opposition group in the Welsh Parliament after the May election, with 34 members. Jenner now leads this group and performed confidently on Tuesday, quizzing First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth in the Senedd.

Final Thoughts

Jenner’s election stabilises Reform’s Welsh leadership after two predecessors faced serious legal troubles. As a fluent Welsh speaker and experienced teacher, she brings stability to the party’s largest opposition group, though Reform has shed seven percentage points in opinion polls over the summer.

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