Nigel Farage has confirmed Reform UK’s new Welsh leader is Helen Jenner.
Ms Jenner, who has served as Wales’s deputy leader since April, is a former teacher and Senedd member for Bangor Conwy Mon.
Speaking from a press conference today, Mr Farage said: “Helen Jenner is now the leader of Reform in Wales, and the group leader in the Senedd. I’ve known Helen for many, many years. A determined campaigner, and I think she will do a very good job.”
Ms Jenner said: “I’m thrilled to have the support of my fantastic colleagues to lead Reform here in Wales.
“Back in May the voters gave us a clear mandate to smash the establishment and to bring common sense to Cardiff Bay.
“Week in, week out, that’s exactly what we’ve done, and we’re not going to stop until we get the real change Wales deserves.”
The announcement comes after Reform’s previous leader, Dan Thomas, was arrested last week.
Gwent Police said that a 45-year-old man from Aberbargoed, in Caerphilly, has been bailed pending further enquiries.
Andy Burnham jets off for crucial first meeting with Donald Trump
Andy Burnham is heading to New York for talks with Donald Trump as the Prime Minister attends his first major gathering of world leaders.
The Prime Minister boarded his plane at Stansted to travel to the United Nations General Assembly.
At the UN tomorrow, he will hold his first face-to-face talks with the US president and deliver a keynote speech.
It will be Mr Burnham’s first meeting with the US president, although the pair have spoken by telephone since the Prime Minister took office in July.
Mr Trump’s unpredictability, his recent comments about Irish unification and his hostility to UK immigration and clean energy policies make it a potentially awkward challenge for the Prime Minister.
Mr Burnham has been critical of the US president in the past including saying – as rioters stormed the US Capitol in 2021 – that “any UK politician who gave Trump the time of day should be ashamed right now”.
Kemi Badenoch ‘not worried’ about Lib Dems as Tories win back more support – voters are ‘coming home’
Kemi Badenoch has denied the Liberal Democrats are an electoral threat to her party, saying she is “not worried about Ed Davey at all”.
Mrs Badenoch also told reporters she was “pleased” former Conservative voters who turned their backs on her party over recent years were “coming back home”.
Asked whether she was worried about the Liberal Democrats making gains on the centre-right flank, Mrs Badenoch replied: “I’m not worried about Ed Davey at all.
“In fact, a lot of people are telling me that they regret having Liberal Democrat MPs because they’ve just been supporting Labour.”
Mrs Badenoch, speaking in Oxfordshire, added “many” Conservative voters “stayed at home” on polling day more than two years ago.
“Many of them voted Reform,” she continued, “they didn’t get a Reform MP – they got someone well to the left of that. And they are coming home, and that’s what makes me pleased – that a lot of Conservative Party supporters are coming back.”
“And I want them to know that this time we’re going to get it right and solve issues like immigration and stopping the boats once and for all”, Mrs Badenoch added.
Andy Burnham pays tribute to frontline workers after ‘tough’ summer of wildfires and emergencies
Andy Burnham has pledged to boost Britain’s resilience as he paid tribute to frontline workers after a summer of high temperatures, wildfires and emergencies at sea.
The Prime Minister told volunteers they would never be “invisible” to him during a reception in the garden of 10 Downing Street, after a “tough” summer.
He pledged to learn the lessons of a summer when record temperatures sparked wildfires across the country and caused the deaths of an estimated 2,977 people in May and June alone.
Mr Burnham said: “The climate is changing. I don’t think anybody here today is going to say otherwise. The change in the world is going to test everybody, and it’s my responsibility to equip you all.”
Addressing representatives of fire and rescue services, St John Ambulance, the RNLI and other emergency services, the Prime Minister said: “My commitment to you is not to let what we lived through just go past. I will make sure that we build resilience up from the ground level.”
He added: “I will commit to you today as Prime Minister to support our community and voluntary sector across the country. From my former role, I can say to you all: you are not invisible to me. I see what you do and I appreciate what you do.
“But also, our emergency services – fire, ambulance, police – my job is to ensure that we continue to do everything we can to equip you to deal with a changing world, and we will.”
Ed Davey ‘just represents no change’ – Nigel Farage hits out at Lib Dems
Sir Ed Davey “just represents no change” and is “part of the failure” of recent governments, Nigel Farage has said.
Asked about criticism from the Lib Dem leader, who has said this weekend that he has a “moral responsibility” to keep Reform out of government, the Reform leader responded: “Well, Ed Davey just represents no change.
“I mean, he is part of a uni-party that has failed over the course of the last couple of decades. We failed economically. We failed in terms of control of our borders. We’ve seen a decline in living standards for average people.
“He’s part of the failure and his criticism of Reform is Davey basically saying, ‘we don’t want change’.”
Labour branded ‘disgraceful’ over plan to house 150 asylum seekers in heart of city already overrun with migrants
Labour has been branded as “disgraceful” over its plans to house asylum seekers in the heart of Aberdeen.
The Home Office informed Aberdeen South’s MP Douglas Lumsden it was looking to house 149 asylum seekers on St Peter Street in the city.
The Granite City already houses 707 migrants, the Home Office wrote in a letter, with the plans for St Peter Street taking Aberdeen “above its service under demand plan allocation”.
Service user demand plan allocation refers to the forecasting and distribution of housing, health and support resources for a location based on the projected asylum seeker volumes.
Read the full story here.
‘I would not support increase in capital gains’, says Kemi Badenoch
Leader of the Opposition Kemi Badenoch has said she would not support a rise in capital gains tax amid speculation Labour will announce this in next month’s Budget.
Speaking from Bicester Village, she said: “No, I would not support an increase in capital gains.
“Andy Burnham announced a tourist tax just two weeks ago. He’s driving tourists away, now he wants to drive investors away. Capital gains tax is a tax that encourages people to invest so that they know that if they make a profit, they can keep it.
“But if we’re telling people that once you make a profit we’re going to be taking most of it away, they probably won’t invest here in the first place. That’s bad for jobs, it’s bad for growth, it’s bad for business, it’s bad for families. It’s bad for anyone who has aspirations.
“So, no, I don’t support his capital gains tax idea, he needs to cut spending. Andy Burnham needs to tell us what he would cut. There’s a lot of wasteful spending, especially on welfare. He’s too scared to do that, the answer is not more taxes.”
Nigel Farage accuses Government of ‘moving the goalposts’ amid donation row
Nigel Farage has accused the Government of trying to “move the goalposts” after the Electoral Commission launched a review into the rules surrounding political donations.
Speaking to GB News, the Reform leader said he did not welcome the review, claiming it was an attempt to disadvantage the party as it seeks to compete with political opponents.
He said: “This is the most dishonest, anti-democratic Government in history. They are literally trying to move the goalposts every single week to disadvantage a democratic opponent.
“I’ve never seen anything like it in all my life. The Electoral Commission say, ‘Well, look at this’. Why? Because Angela Rayner wrote them a letter.”
Mr Farage was speaking after Reform UK received £72million in the form of two donations.
Helen Jenner is Reform UK’s new Welsh leader
Helen Jenner, MS Senedd for Bangor Conwy Mon, has been announced as Reform UK’s Welsh leader.
Speaking from Cardiff, Nigel Farage made the announcement during a press conference, saying: “I’ve known Helen for many, many years.
“She’s a determined campaigner, someone that I trust and I think is going to do a very, very good job.
“Tomorrow morning, we will have an election for the new deputy leader, and over the course of this week, the full shadow cabinet, with one or two adjustments, will be announced, and we will carry on as if nothing had happened.”
John Healey faces Budget blow as fiscal headroom SLASHED due to inflation and weak growth
Chancellor John Healey’s financial wriggle room has been slashed by almost half ahead of his first Budget, a fresh KPMG analysis has warned.
The consultancy’s latest economic outlook projects that the Government’s fiscal headroom will shrink to roughly £12billion by the autumn, a sharp drop from the £23.6billion available when the spring forecast was published.
The findings heap significant pressure on Mr Healey to either increase taxes or reduce public expenditure when he delivers his Budget on October 28.
A combination of surging borrowing costs triggered by the Iran conflict and underwhelming economic growth is behind the deterioration.
Read Patrick O’Donnell’s story here.
Reform announcement incoming as Nigel Farage arrives in Wales
Reform UK’s leader Nigel Farage has said a “big announcement” is coming as he has arrived in Wales.
This comes after the party endured a “challenging” period last week.
The party’s Welsh leader Dan Thomas was arrested, but “released without charge” on September 13, with him standing down from his position shortly after.
Following this, MS for Pen-y-bont Bro Morgannwg Sarah Cooper-Lesadd said she would be defecting from Reform to Plaid Cymru.
It is rumoured Helen Jenner will take over as Reform’s Welsh leader.
Kemi Badenoch ‘anti-business’ following tax-free shopping pledge, says Robert Jenrick
Kemi Badenoch has been described as “anti-business” by Reform UK’s Robert Jenrick, following her party’s announcement they will scrap VAT for tourists in order to stimulate high-street shopping.
Reform’s Treasury spokesman said: “Kemi Badenoch claims she’ll bring back tax-free shopping for visitors, but it was Kemi who abolished it in the first place.
“In 2020, she defended scrapping VAT relief for overseas visitors, calling it a ‘costly relief’.
“Now, after years of damage to British retailers and high streets, she wants to reverse course when she is no longer in a position to do anything about it.
“I warned at the time that this would harm British businesses, as did Nigel Farage. I brought businesses to the doors of Ministers who brushed their concerns aside.
“She has been exposed again for her anti-business, tax raising record.
“You simply cannot trust a word the Conservatives say on tax.”
Early release of around 700 sex offenders does not mean ‘freedom’, says minister
Alex Davies-Jones has backed the Government’s early release scheme after the Conservatives released figures it could see 700 rapists and sex offenders freed prematurely.
Speaking to GB News, the minister for violence against women and girls, said: “We are protecting everyone in our nation by making sure there will be always be a prison place available for someone who needs it.
She continued: “With respect, I will take no lectures from a Conservative Party who broke up the criminal justice system and called the General Election to get away from the crisis in our prisons.
“We inherited that crisis and we are being responsible and transparent with the public about the measures that we need to take in order to get to grips with this.”
Ms Davies-Jones said the Government had exempted the most serious offences from the early release scheme, including rape, unlawful killing, child grooming and child sexual assault.
She said: “You will know that the Government has exempted many serious offenses from the early release scheme.”
The MP for Pontypridd insisted additional safeguards would be in place for offenders who are released, stressing that release “does not mean freedom”.
Minister defends £7.7billion in benefits paid to foreign nationals
Alex Davies-Jones, minister for violence against women and girls, has defended benefit payments made to foreign nationals, insisting the vast majority are “in-work benefits”.
Speaking to GB News, she was pressed on figures showing migrant households received a record £12billion in Universal Credit, with £7.7billion of that going to foreign nationals who have been out of work in recent years.
She pushed back on the framing of the figures, saying: “Those people that you mentioned, they are the people who have got settled status and are right to be in this country. So they may be your neighbour who is married to a foreign national. They may be the nurse who is coming here working in your local hospital.
“The vast majority of these benefits that are paid out are in-work benefits. So they are paid to enable these people to contribute to our economy and to contribute to our society.”
Andy Burnham announces specialist rape courts to tackle sexual violence
Andy Burnham has announced a string of changes to reform the “traumatising” court process experienced by rape and sexual offence victims.
In a video posted on X, the Prime Minister announced there will be specialist rape and sexual offences courts in every Crown court across the country, every court building to have separate entrances and private rooms for vulnerable victims, support roles in court to help victims and speeding up the timeline for police forces to have specialist rape and sexual offence units.
In the accompanying post, he wrote: “Women and girls should be able to live their lives free from violence and abuse. But when these crimes happen, we need a justice system that properly supports victims. So we’re making changes.”
Tories defend their tax-free shopping pledge for tourists
Shadow Treasury minister Gareth Davies has defended Conservative plans to bring back tax-free shopping for overseas tourists, insisting the move would benefit British high streets.
Speaking to GB News, he said: “If you own a shop, if you run a shop, if you have a high street business, you’ll be really interested in the announcement today because we hope that this will result in about £4million extra being spent on our high street.”
The MP for Grantham and Bourne added: “Foreign visitors come to our country because it’s a great place to go on holiday, but the evidence shows they’re actually spending more in Paris and Milan and Madrid and other European countries.
“We want that money to be spent here when they come to visit the country.”
Pressed on why the Conservatives were now reversing a policy scrapped by Kemi Badenoch during her time as a Treasury minister, Mr Davies said circumstances had changed significantly since then.
He said: “It was actually six years ago since that was announced. That was based on evidence and analysis at the time from the Treasury and the OBR. It was also 2020 when we were in the midst of a global pandemic, where we had to make a lot of very difficult decisions on tax to help pay for the nearly £400billion of support for families and businesses.”
‘We are united’ – Ed Davey defends his party amid trans row
Sir Ed Davey has defended his party’s unity after questioned on potential fracturing over transgender guidance.
When questioned on whether his party was split on the issue, the Liberal Democrat leader said: “We are united. I think we’re the most united party in British politics. If you go round the bars here at conference, or go around the fringes and talk to people that I have, there’s a real spring in our step because we keep winning elections up and down the country.”
Speaking to GB News, Sir Ed said he accepted the Supreme Court’s judgement on gender guidance, but argued clearer direction was needed.
He said: “We said we supported the Supreme Court judgment, that was the law.
“But then we had to have the guidance to work out how people implemented it and there has been a genuine debate about that guidance.
“We think the guidance actually isn’t helpful to businesses and if businesses are trying to implement the Supreme Court judgment, they need better guidance.”
Ed Davey refutes ‘lacking ambition’ comments made during Lib Dem conference
Sir Ed Davey has refuted comments made by a Liberal Democrat councillor, who said the party is “lacking ambition” and “lacking courage”.
The comments were made by leader of Devon County Council, Julian Brazil during the Lib Dem conference.
Speaking to GB News, Sir Ed said: “Well, when the party has grown as fast and as well as it has in recent years, with our record number of MPs and our huge number of councillors, you are not going to please everyone all the time and it is interesting.
“Those comments are from the Devon councillor. We’ve now got more MPs in Devon than we’ve had since the 1920s.
“We’re running more councils than we have for many many years, with lots of councillors.”
He added: “The strategy we have got is actually very popular amongst the vast majority of conference delegates, and we are making our points about how we are going to help people with the cost of living.
“We’re going to cut their taxes.”
The trap facing 212 Labour MPs that could stop Britain’s benefits bill EVER being cut
More than half the country’s Labour MPs have more people in their seats claiming disability benefits than the size of their election majorities.
Labour has 366 seats in England and Wales.
A total of 212 of those have more constituents claiming personal independence payments (Pip) than their respective MPs’ majority.
Wes Streeting has 6,284 Pip claimants in his Ilford North seat, analysis by The Times revealed.
But his majority is just 528.
Read James Saunders’ story here.
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