{"id":402860,"date":"2025-09-06T14:33:12","date_gmt":"2025-09-06T14:33:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/402860\/"},"modified":"2025-09-06T14:33:12","modified_gmt":"2025-09-06T14:33:12","slug":"reform-uk-holds-wales-in-contempt-says-new-green-party-leader","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/402860\/","title":{"rendered":"Reform UK holds Wales in &#8216;contempt&#8217; says new Green Party leader"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The Greens hope to take their first seat in the Senedd at next year&#8217;s election<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/0_Green-Party-leadership-campaignjpgnew.jpg\" alt=\"A man in a dark jacket and white shirt mid-conversation\" loading=\"eager\"  \/>Zack Polanski pictures days after being named the new leader of the Green Party(Image: PA)<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">The new leader of the Green Party has said Reform UK is using Wales as a &#8220;stepping stone&#8221; to UK Government and that it holds Wales in &#8220;contempt&#8221;. Zack Polanski, appointed this week, said <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walesonline.co.uk\/news\/politics\/nigel-farage-says-reform-welsh-32111340\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\">by refusing to name a leader<\/a> in Wales the party led by Nigel Farage show &#8220;their contempt for this country&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Mr Polanski, a member of the London Assembly, has visited Wales as the party tries to secure its first Senedd seat. Polling shows they stand a chance of taking one of the six seats for the Caerdydd <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walesonline.co.uk\/all-about\/penarth\" target=\"\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\">Penarth<\/a> constituency.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Speaking before the visit he said: &#8220;Reform are treating Wales as nothing more than stepping stone to Downing Street. They\u2019ve even refused to name<a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walesonline.co.uk\/all-about\/welsh-government\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\"> a Welsh leader <\/a>such is their contempt for this country.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;Voters literally have no idea who their pick for First Minister would be for next year\u2019s crucial Senedd elections.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;The Reform UK leader makes up nonsense. He even claimed he would be <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walesonline.co.uk\/news\/wales-news\/nigel-farage-20mph-coal-mining-31818789\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\">reopening coal mines<\/a> when the future for communities and jobs in Wales is the move toward sustainable renewable energy.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;Farage <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walesonline.co.uk\/news\/politics\/nigel-farages-claim-hell-re-31824209\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\">said Reform would re-open the blast furnace<\/a> at <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walesonline.co.uk\/all-about\/port-talbot\" target=\"\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\">Port Talbot<\/a> \u2013 something workers know is physically impossible.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">\u201cIt is an insult to the people of Wales to offer false hopes and lies. Wales, for Reform, is just a place to mop up salaries for his politicians on the way to Downing Street.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;Where they offer division Greens offer actual solutions to people\u2019s concerns. Greens in the Senedd will bring in rent controls, bring water into public ownership, and bring down people\u2019s bills,&#8221; he said. <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walesonline.co.uk\/newsletter-preference-centre\/?view=Solus&amp;mailingListId=8cdecf69-0a19-43af-8d50-ed4e2c52d045&amp;utm_source=solusarticle\" target=\"\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\">For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Reform UK has been holding its party conference in Birmingham this week.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Speaking at that its sole Senedd member, Laura Anne Jones, who defected from the Conservatives over the summer, <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walesonline.co.uk\/news\/wales-news\/reform-uk-ms-wont-rule-32425432\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\">refused to rule out scrapping the Senedd altogether.<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">She told conference: &#8220;We need to try and make the Senedd work for the people of Wales but if it doesn&#8217;t we need to question whether the Senedd is really adding value to Wales.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Following the conference she told <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walesonline.co.uk\/all-about\/bbc\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"BBCLink opens in a new tab.\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\">BBC<\/a> Wales: &#8220;So if it gets to a point where we, not even us, can make it work for Wales then we have to question why it&#8217;s there.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;As a party we are not ruling anything out.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;If you lived in Wales would you like to see it carry on if it&#8217;s not working for Wales?<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;We want to make the Senedd work for the people of Wales first.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;That&#8217;s our priority.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\"><strong class=\"Strong_strong__e2x35\">Get daily<strong class=\"Strong_strong__e2x35\"> breaking news<\/strong> updates on your phone by joining <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/chat.whatsapp.com\/KLfwXOh37d73cWPw0KYD9Q\" target=\"\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\">our WhatsApp community here<\/a>. We occasionally treat members to special offers, promotions and ads from us and our partners. 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