Nigel Farage

Hello and welcome to the Reform UK podcast, the show that takes you behind the scenes as Nigel Farage challenges the established political parties.

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I'm Ray Addison, and this week we're heading to Wales, which has been governed by Labour for over 25 years, often in partnership with Plaid Cymru.

Under their governance, Wales now has more than 540,000 people waiting for NHS treatment, with public services under strain and many communities feeling neglected.

With postal votes arriving and the Senate election just days away, many voters are now looking for alternatives and considering Reform UK.

We begin on Thursday the 16th of April on a beautiful sunny day in South Wales.

Nigel Farage and Dan Thomas, Reform's leader in Wales, are standing beside a stunning bronze bust of Keir Hardie.

Today, Hardy's memorial stands as a reminder of the original aims of the Labour Party,

Although founded to champion working people, after more than 25 years of Labour-led government in Wales, the country faces some of the highest school absence rates in Britain, while the Welsh economy ranks near the bottom of UK league tables, with many communities experiencing limited opportunities.

Dan Thomas has been campaigning for change.

Raised in Blackwood in the South Wales Valleys, he's focused on engaging directly with local residents and listening to their concerns.

From the birthplace of the Labour Party, Nigel and Dan headed into the heart of the valleys, to Merthyr Tydfil.

It's a town that once fired the engines of the Industrial Revolution, yet today illustrates some of the long-term challenges facing communities after decades of the same political leadership.

Murfa's crime rates are concerning, with elevated levels of violent crime and antisocial behaviour.

On the high street, several storefronts are shuttered and the commercial vacancy rate is pushing 15%.

These struggles are clear to local business owners and residents alike.

One man came up to speak to Dan after watching him on TV the night before.

The next stop was a long-established local business, Mertha Motor Auctions.

By embracing new technology, what started as a local company is now able to sell globally.