Reform UK Candidate James Evans Calls Arron Banks' "Welsh Lad?" Post Racist

James Evans, a Reform UK election candidate in Wales, has publicly described a social media post by party figure Arron Banks as racist. This statement marks the first instance of a Reform UK representative directly applying the term to Banks' commentary.

Banks, a vocal supporter of Reform UK, posted "Welsh lad?" on X in response to a Plaid Cymru video featuring a Black community organiser in Cardiff. He previously dismissed the remark as a "joke", suggesting Plaid Cymru had "lost their sense of humour". Banks has not responded to recent requests for comment.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage previously urged Banks to apologise for his "poor taste" post. However, Evans went further, stating, "Of course it's racist. He shouldn't be saying these things."

Dan Thomas, the Welsh leader of Reform UK, avoided directly addressing whether he distanced himself from Banks' post. Thomas asserted that his party is not racist, adding, "I've had my Welshness questioned by supporters of Plaid Cymru. They've called me a plastic Taffy because I happened to live in England."

Plaid Cymru maintained that "racism has no place in Wales or society" and criticised Farage and Thomas for their reluctance to label Banks' comment as racist. Welsh Labour, the Welsh Conservatives, the Wales Green Party, and the Liberal Democrats have all condemned Banks' remarks, with the Green Party noting it was "a joke only racists would find funny and it is a racist joke." The Liberal Democrats characterised the comments as part of a "worrying pattern of behaviour" from Reform UK figures.