A Reform candidate has apologised after a photograph of him appearing to perform a Nazi salute appeared online hours after it was announced he was running in the Welsh Senedd elections.
Corey Edwards was unveiled as Reform’s lead candidate for the Pen-y-Bont Bro Morgannwg constituency on Wednesday – but within 24 hours, the image emerged online of him smiling as he held a finger to his nose and raised his hand in the air.
Mr Edwards, who worked for former Welsh secretary David TC Davies between November 2022 and October 2023, is one of 96 candidates put forward by Reform for the Welsh parliament election, where the party is expected to perform well.
However, the photograph, which was reportedly taken at least six years ago and was first revealed by Nation Cymru, brought criticism from opposition parties who have questioned the calibre of candidates chosen to run by Nigel Farage’s party. A Plaid Cymru spokesperson called the picture “utterly disgraceful”.
Speaking for the first time, Mr Edwards said: “A photo from many years ago has been shared that I recognise looks bad and could be misinterpreted.
“There is a clear distinction between ordinary use of the appalling gesture, compared with me imitating a Welsh footballer’s use of it, or indeed Basil Fawlty’s walk.
“The Nazi regime was the most barbaric ever, and I’d never make light of nor dilute its seriousness. My dear grandfather fought against the Nazis, and his brother-in-law was a prisoner of war. I’m a staunch champion of Judaism, and it sickens me to see the recent openly antisemitic marches on the streets of Britain.
“I am proud of the person I am today and the values I stand for, and I hope that people judge me on the professionalism of how I conduct myself as a candidate and the contribution I can make going forward.”
In 2019, Welsh footballer Wayne Hennessey said he did not know what a Nazi salute was when he was charged by the FA for making the offensive gesture. The charge was found not proven, and he faced no punishment.
According to Mr Edwards’ LinkedIn page, the university law graduate worked as a special adviser to the government’s Cabinet Office in 2022, before working for the then-Attorney General. He later worked for former Welsh secretary David TC Davies up to October 2023.
When asked for comment on the photograph, a Reform UK Wales spokesperson said: “We’re not willing to write people off forever because of mistakes they made when they were young people.”
A Plaid Cymru spokesperson said: “This is utterly disgraceful from the Reform candidate and shows exactly what Reform are about.
“This photo confirms a clear pattern in the calibre of candidates they’re selecting to represent communities. Reform has serious questions to answer regarding their vetting process across the UK.”
The emergence of the photograph comes after Mr Farage told Politics Home that candidate vetting would be “absolutely key”.
In December, Reform Senedd member Laura Anne Jones was suspended for two weeks by the parliament for using offensive language in a WhatsApp group in August 2023.
Ms Jones, who defected from the Conservatives last year, made the remark about Chinese people in a group discussion about the Chinese-owned app TikTok in August 2023. She wrote: “No c***** spies for me.” She issued an apology for the comment.
In the same month, the former leader of Reform UK in Wales, Nathan Gill, was jailed for 10 and a half years after taking bribes to make pro-Russia statements while a member of the European parliament.
Reform Wales leader Dan Thomas has announced the list of candidates for the Senedd election, which will take place on 7 May.
Writing on social media, he said: “After 100 years of failure, Labour are finished in Wales. The choice at this election is what comes next: common sense and a fresh start with Reform, or independence by stealth with Plaid Cymru.”
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