A Reform UK candidate for the upcoming Senedd election has stood down citing his mental health after photos of him appearing to strike a Nazi salute appeared online.
Corey Edwards will no longer be Reform’s lead candidate for Pen-y-bont Bro Morgannwg constituency in the 7 May election for the Welsh parliament.
Photos of Mr Edwards – appearing to show him performing a Nazi salute with one hand and holding his other hand across his top lip, imitating Adolf Hitler’s moustache – emerged online just hours after it was announced he was running in the Welsh Senedd elections.
Nigel Farage had come to Mr Edwards’s defence on Thursday, the day after the photos were published by the Nation.Cymru website, suggesting his party’s candidate may have been imitating Basil Fawlty, the lead character from the 1970s comedy TV series Fawlty Towers.
But just one day later, the party has now announced Mr Edwards has stood down as a candidate.
The photograph, which was reportedly taken at least six years ago, sparked criticism from opposition parties who questioned the calibre of candidates by Reform, with Plaid Cymru dubbing the picture “utterly disgraceful”.
Announcing Mr Edwards’s decision to step down, a Reform UK Wales spokesperson said: “Corey Edwards has informed us that he is stepping down as a candidate for the Senedd election this May, citing issues with his mental health.
“We wish him well for the future and hope his privacy can be respected at this difficult time.”
It came shortly after Mr Edwards issued an apology for the image, telling The Independent: “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.”
Mr Edwards, who worked for former Welsh secretary David TC Davies between November 2022 and October 2023, was one of 96 candidates put forward by Reform for the Welsh parliament election, where the party is expected to perform well.
His suspension comes just days after Reform was forced to suspend its Hampshire mayoral candidate after he appeared to liken a Jewish neighbourhood watch group to “Islamists on horseback” following an arson attack on Jewish community ambulances.
Chris Parry was suspended pending an investigation following the remarks about Shomrim, a voluntary patrol service, in a series of social media posts on Monday.
He also reportedly described the members of the group as “cosplayers”, according to The Guardian, in a post which has since been deleted.
Shomrim works alongside Hatzola, the Jewish-led charity ambulance service that was targeted by arsonists early on Monday morning and provides free emergency medical response and transportation to hospitals.
Mr Parry reportedly shared a post from former Brexit party leader Catherine Blaiklock, who had posted a picture of Shomrim vehicles with the caption: “Can Christian’s [sic] in Britain set up their own police and patrol certain neighbourhoods?”
Resharing the post, Mr Parry added: “Remember that these cosplayers have no more jurisdiction or legal authority than ordinary citizens.”
Referring to Shomrim, he later posted: “They are a community organisation, not a legal entity. It’s the same with Islamists on horseback. But if it offends you, I’ll remove it.”
Mr Parry had been due to stand as Reform’s mayoral candidate in Hampshire and the Solent in 2028.
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