Reform appoints Nazi salute candidate as special adviser in Wales
Despite having had to step down as a Senedd candidate, Corey Edwards is now an adviser to the Welsh Reform leader
Reform UK has picked a man who was pictured doing a Nazi salute in a photo as an adviser to the party’s Welsh leader, Dan Thomas.
Corey Edwards withdrew as a Reform candidate in the run-up to the Senedd election earlier this month, after Nation.Cymru published the controversial photo on its website on 27 March.
Just weeks on from the election, Edwards is now listed as a special adviser to Thomas on an internal system in the Welsh Parliament, according to Nation.Cymru.
Several sources also told Nation.Cymru that they had seen the former Pen-y-bont Bro Morgannwg election candidate “wandering around” the Welsh Parliament last week.
When the Nazi salute photo first came to light, Nigel Farage defended Edwards, claiming he was doing “a Faulty Towers impression”. Edwards himself said he had been impersonating a footballer.
Asked at the time if he would kick Edwards out of Reform or sack him as a candidate for doing a Nazi salute, Farage told ITV: “No, he’s a human being.”
Shortly after the photo came to light, Edwards withdrew as a Reform candidate, citing mental health struggles.
Edwards was seen out campaigning for Reform the day before the Senedd elections on 7 May.
Llŷr Powell, who was Reform’s candidate in the Caerphilly by-election and is now the MS for Blaenau Gwent Caerffili Rhymni, said he didn’t like how other parties were “trying to smear” Edwards.
Reacting to Edwards’ appointment, a spokesperson for Plaid Cymru said: “Rewarding someone who had to resign after making a Nazi salute will raise eyebrows.”
Meanwhile, Welsh Labour said: “Reform UK didn’t have the decency to deem Corey Edwards unfit to be a candidate. He stepped back himself after the truth came out. Now they think he is fit to advise their leader in Wales.
“Reform have shown yet again they haven’t learned their lesson and their values do not align with the people of Wales.”
Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward
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