The question Reform just won’t properly answer

As I have just got back from a week away I will start blogging again properly tomorrow. In the meantime though, and with the Caerphilly by-election on Thursday supposedly on a knife edge, it is worth quoting at length from Will Hayward's latest newsletter.

Will says that Reform are declining to properly answer questions about their Caerphilly candidate, Llyr Powell’s links to the party’s disgraced former leader in Wales, Nathan Gill:

Mr Gill has admitted eight counts of taking Russian bribes while a member of the European Parliament.

Mr Powell worked for Mr Gill though not at the time incidents took place.

Reform are desperate for people to stop asking them questions about this. In a BBC Radio Wales interview last week Mr Powell was asked if he knew anything about Gill’s crimes, to which he replied:

“That’s really low to ask me that. I’ve been clear that no, I knew absolutely nothing.

“No-one was more angry with what Nathan did than me. It was an act of betrayal. I’ve been clear about that.

“The fact that he had a plea deal I wasn’t happy with. I think if he did do these [crimes], as he’s pled guilty to, now he should feel the full weight of the law.

“But for political opponents to smear my name with this, I find it absolutely disgusting.

“No one’s asking questions of other parties of what they knew about when their members have done some horrific things in particular. There’s some real questionable things being done there, and I haven’t heard the other parties speak about those members before.”

A few points on this:

1. The idea that other parties would not get the same level of questioning is ridiculous. Vaughan Gething ultimately had to resign because of the media questions asked about a donation he received.

2. It is clear that Mr Powell did not work for Mr Gill at the time the offences took place and there is no evidence to suggest that he had any knowledge of Mr Gill’s crimes.

3. The idea that if it was another party in this position Reform wouldn’t be raising the issue at every available opportunity is laughable.

4. It is perfectly legitimate to diligently question the relationship a Reform candidate has to a man who committed serious crimes.

Based on point four, I approached Reform to ask: “When did Llyr Powell last have direct contact with Nathan Gill whether by phone, email, text or Whatsapp?”

They replied saying “Llyr has answered these questions” and directed me to an interview with WalesOnline where he was asked when they last spoke, or if he had looked back at their last messages since his former boss pleaded guilty?

Mr Powell said in that interview:

“No because you change phones.

“European phone... Nathan had a different number by the end. If I’m being totally honest with you I don’t know whether it was the Brexit night when we actually left [that we last spoke] and it was like a: ‘Can you believe this?’ I think that might have been a message.

“Mine and Nathan’s relationship was purely when he needed me in the sense of casework or press advice on Welsh-specific [matters].”

Clear as mud right? I assume that “Brexit night” was January 31, 2020, when the UK officially left the EU. However when I tried to seek clarification from Reform they stopped replying. Three times I have asked them for this and it’s being ignored (they normally reply within minutes).

Let’s accept he means January 2020 as the date he last spoke to Mr Gill. I am surprised, given what a small world that extreme right of politics is in Wales, that they went half a decade without contact or meeting at events.

I do think it is telling that they are clearly unwilling to properly commit to a date. This is not a small thing. Reform are likely to be the biggest party in Wales, it is not crazy to imagine that Llyr Powell could be our next First Minister. The fact the party is seemingly being evasive about when he last had contact with a man who was the party’s Welsh leader, and took bribes from a foreign power, is concerning.

I repeat, imagine how relentless Reform would be if this was any other party.

Like Will, I think we deserve some answers to these questions.

P.S. If you haven't already, it is well worth subscribing to Will's newsletter.