REFORM UK: Former Senedd MS Caroline Jones resigns citing candidate parachuting and “wall of silence”
Jones, 70, who represented South Wales West as a regional MS from 2016 to 2021, announced her resignation on social media, saying she had formally submitted her departure more than 24 hours before making it public and had received no response from the party.
In a lengthy statement, Jones said local members who had worked hard in their communities had been passed over for candidacies, with individuals she described as having “little or no connection” to constituencies being placed into positions instead. She said this had caused “deep frustration and disappointment” among members, candidates and supporters who had invested time and resources in good faith.
More seriously, she alleged that some of those parachuted into constituencies had brought “further reputational damage” through conduct including allegations of racism and discrimination — claims she said had embarrassed those who had worked to represent their communities with integrity.
“This continued lack of engagement reflects the wall of silence that many of us have experienced when trying to seek clarity and accountability,” Jones wrote, adding that she had made repeated formal attempts to get answers and had consistently been ignored.
The resignation adds to a growing picture of turmoil inside Reform UK’s Welsh operation in the weeks before the May 2026 Senedd election. Swansea Bay News has reported extensively on the party’s difficulties across the region, including the collapse of its Bridgend candidate slate, a furious resignation in Swansea in which a candidate branded the party a “sewer”, and a Carmarthenshire candidate launch overshadowed by wider defections and internal turbulence.
Jones is not a new face to Welsh political turbulence. She was first elected on the UKIP ticket in 2016, briefly led the UKIP Senedd group in 2018, and subsequently left to sit as an independent before joining the Brexit Party — now Reform UK — in 2019. She later broke with the group again over its anti-devolution stance, forming the Independent Alliance for Reform group in the Senedd until her seat ended at the 2021 election. She rejoined Reform UK in 2023.
Her resignation echoes complaints that have surfaced repeatedly across Wales. Candidate selection disputes, allegations of racism and discrimination against Reform figures in the region, and the high-profile jailing of former Wales leader Nathan Gill for ten and a half years over a Russian bribery case have collectively damaged the party’s credibility ahead of what polls suggest could be a significant electoral moment.
Jones said her decision was “about integrity, and about standing up for what is right”, and that she remained committed to serving veterans and her community.
It is not yet clear whether she intends to stand as an independent candidate at the Senedd election or step back from frontline politics.
Jones represented the South Wales West region, which covers Bridgend, Neath Port Talbot and Swansea — areas that have been among the most turbulent for the party’s Welsh operation.
The Senedd election takes place on 7 May 2026. Reform UK has not yet responded to the resignation.
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