Reform Wales Deputy Criticizes Colleague Over Leadership Claim

Reform Wales deputy leader Laura Anne Jones has criticized colleague James Evans for claiming he had majority support to lead the party, stating his assertion was misleading. Evans had announced he would not stand for the leadership, citing a desire for party unity, but had claimed he possessed the backing of most members.

"James says a lot of things," Jones stated, responding to his claim. "It's not something that I recognise to be the case at the time. That's all I'm going to say. Helen has extremely strong backing here and everyone can easily get behind her."

Jones, the Senedd member for Sir Fynwy Torfaen and the newly elected deputy leader, indicated that Evans' statement was indeed misleading. "I think the result speaks for itself," she said. "James is a great politician. But on this, I don't know why he said what he did. The process is the process. There are a few stages to go from when he pulled out."

Evans, in a subsequent statement, acknowledged having "considerable support from colleagues" and expressed gratitude for those who encouraged him to run. He explained that a decision was made with his family not to proceed, meaning the extent of his support was never formally tested in a contest. "Helen has now been elected leader, the process is over, and it's time to move on, get on with the job and give her my full support," Evans added.

Details regarding the vote counts for the leadership and deputy leadership positions have not been made public by Reform Wales. It is known that Senedd colleague Jason O'Connell also sought the leadership, and Jones confirmed that other candidates ran against her for the deputy role, though their identities have not been disclosed.

Jones emphasized the importance of moving forward with a united front. "What is important now is that we look forward, and we've got two strong women at the helm. We're firing on all cylinders," she said. "It's been a crazy old week but we've come out of it stronger than ever."

Both Jones and Evans are former Conservative members of the Senedd. Jones defected to Reform in the summer of 2025, with Evans joining the following February. Earlier in their careers, when Evans was still a Conservative, he had criticized Jones's defection, calling it a lack of principles, a comment Jones later dismissed as merely "playing the game."