Reform UK has named Helen Jenner its new leader in Wales after the arrest and resignation of her predecessor.
Former deputy leader Ms Jenner, Member of the Senedd for Bangor Conwy Mon, will replace Dan Thomas, the party said on Monday.
Mr Thomas was named the party’s Welsh leader in February and led Reform to become the second largest in the Welsh Parliament at an election in May.
He said last week he was stepping down for “personal reasons” after he was arrested on suspicion of assault and controlling or coercive behaviour.
Ms Jenner, a fluent Welsh speaker and mother-of-two, was born in Neath and raised on Anglesey.
She left Wales to pursue career opportunities, spending a decade living and teaching in the north west of England and in London before returning to Anglesey in 2019.
She was named deputy leader in April and elected Member of the Senedd for Bangor Conwy Mon at the Welsh Parliament election in May.
Ms Jenner will now lead the largest opposition group in the Senedd.
In a statement last week, Mr Thomas said: “It has been the honour of my life to have been the leader of Reform Wales and see this party go from zero to 34 elected members and become the largest opposition group in Welsh history.
“With deep regret, I am now standing down from this position due to personal reasons.
“Over the weekend, I was reported to the police and was released without charge.
“I stress that I have done nothing wrong, but I do not want the coming headlines to be a distraction from the fantastic work our Senedd team is doing in holding this Government to account.
“I will continue to serve my constituents in Casnewydd Islwyn and will fully back whoever the group selects as its next leader.”
Speaking on the steps of the Senedd, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said he thought Mr Thomas had been doing a “brilliant job”.
“I am sorry for his personal difficulties that he’s going through,” he added.
“No-one’s life is ever seamless and I am quite sure he will come out of these before too long.
“But it was pretty much untenable for him to continue as leader.”
Speaking to reporters, he added: “(Mr Thomas) had my support from the start, I think he’s a very competent man.
“I think he was a good leader of this group, I know they’re pretty gutted collectively.”
He added that he had spoken to Mr Thomas “at length” and said: “I still believe in him in every way.”
Mr Farage said of Ms Jenner: “I’ve known Helen for many, many years.
“She’s a determined campaigner, someone that I trust, and I think’s going to do a very, very good job.”
Ms Jenner told the Press Association: “It’s not an ideal situation, in the sense that I didn’t expect Dan Thomas to stand down, we were a good team.
“I was enjoying being deputy but it’s always a sense of duty, and I’m quite happy to have stepped up, it’s quite surreal.
“I feel like everybody’s uniting behind me, and we can carry on and get a great job done.”
Mr Farage said there would be a vote to choose a new deputy leader on Tuesday morning.
A Welsh Labour spokesperson said: “Just months after the Senedd election, Reform has already seen its leader resign and one of its members leave the party.
“Alongside departures from its council groups in England, that raises serious questions about its stability and ability to deliver for the people it represents.
“People across Wales are facing real challenges and deserve serious, stable political leadership focused on their priorities.”
Plaid Cymru MS Rebeca Phillips said: “Reform UK have no interest in making a difference in the lives of people in Wales, and whoever Farage has chosen to be his next Welsh puppet makes no difference to that fact.
“While Reform UK in Wales try to appease their London bosses – Plaid Cymru is getting on with taking action on the priorities of the people of Wales, because we are answerable solely to the people of Wales, not Westminster.”
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