Reform candidate brands Banks’ comment racist

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Reform candidate brands Banks' comment racist

A social media post by prominent member of Reform UK Arron Banks was racist, a Welsh election candidate for the party has said.

James Evans said it was wrong and became the first Reform figure to call it racist.

Arron Banks, an outspoken supporter of the party, posted "Welsh lad?" on X in response to a Plaid Cymru video which was fronted by a black community organiser in Cardiff.

Banks hasn't responded to a request for comment but had said previously that it was a "joke" and Plaid Cymru had "lost their sense of humour".

Plaid Cymru said "racism has no place in Wales or society".

Party leader Nigel Farage previously said Banks should apologise for his "poor taste" post.

When asked about it, Evans went further, telling BBC Politics Wales: "Of course it's racist. He shouldn't be saying these things."

Meanwhile, Dan Thomas, the Welsh leader of Reform, did not directly respond to questions this week when asked whether or not he distanced himself from Banks' post on X, but did say his party was not racist.

"I've had my Welshness questioned by supporters of Plaid Cymru," said Thomas.

"They've called me a plastic Taffy because I happened to live in England."

Plaid Cymru said: "Arron Banks' comment was racist, yet Farage and his man in Wales, Dan Thomas, still refuse to say as such.

"Racism has no place in Wales or society anywhere, and we'll keep calling it out."

A Welsh Labour spokesperson said: "Another flip-flop from Reform UK.

"There should be no qualms about calling out this abhorrent racism. Wales can't risk the community division that Reform brings."

The Welsh Liberal Democrats, Wales Green Party and the Welsh Conservatives have been approached for comment.

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