Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party is embroiled in a dispute over racism following a social media post by a local election candidate that criticized a prominent party supporter. Arron Banks, a major backer of Reform and a key figure in the Brexit campaign, sparked controversy by commenting “Welsh lad?” on a video featuring a Black activist supporting Plaid Cymru. This led to backlash from various opposition parties, with Labour condemning the comment as “abhorrent racism.”

James Evans, a Reform candidate, was the first within the party to denounce Banks’s remark as racist. He expressed his disapproval in an interview with BBC Politics Wales, stating, “Of course it’s racist. He shouldn’t be making such comments.”

Banks defended his comment as a “joke” and accused Plaid Cymru of lacking a sense of humor. However, Plaid Cymru’s Liz Saville Roberts criticized his defense, emphasizing that racism is not a laughing matter and calling on Nigel Farage and Reform’s Welsh leader, Dan Thomas, to condemn Banks’s remarks.

The controversy has raised concerns for Reform’s campaign in Wales, where they are in a tight race with Plaid Cymru to become the largest party in the upcoming Welsh parliament. This outcome could signify a significant shift in Welsh politics, with Labour, the longstanding ruling party in Wales since devolution in 1999, projected to come in third place.

Despite being a former UKIP donor and Reform candidate, Banks faced defeat by Labour in a mayoral race last year. Farage acknowledged the need for Banks to apologize for his comments, describing them as in “poor taste” but attributing them to a lapse in judgment.

Reform’s leader in Wales, Dan Thomas, avoided directly addressing Banks’s post during a recent TV debate, highlighting past instances where his Welsh identity was questioned. The responses from other political parties, including Welsh Labour, Welsh Conservatives, and the Wales Green Party, have all condemned the racist nature of Banks’s comment, emphasizing the importance of standing against racism in society.

Reform UK chose not to provide a comment on the matter.