Reform targets Wales' coastal and border seats

Reform UK party leader Richard Tice told BBC Wales he wanted more debate and choice

The Reform Party UK says it will field candidates in all 32 seats in Wales at the general election on 4 July.

The party sees its Welsh campaign as a "reverse C Cymru" by targeting "a sweep" of the north-east, down the border with England, across the south Wales valleys and going through to Pembrokeshire.

A spokesperson said it would be difficult to win seats at the UK election but he was confident that it could "build" for success at the Welsh Parliament elections in 2026.

There are currently no Reform Party members of the Welsh Parliament.

Reform has been particularly critical of the Conservatives on immigration and wants tougher rules.

Party spokesperson Gawain Towler said: "Along the north east coast, Flint, Clwyd, Wrexham, Montgomeryshire, Brecon, Monmouth, across the south Wales valleys to Pembrokeshire – that reverse C of Cymru is our strongest area but we will be fighting everywhere."

Mr Towler said it was "going to be tough" for the party to win "first past the post" seats at this Westminster election but said if the party could "build a strong performance across Wales" then it could win seats at the next Senedd – Welsh Parliament – elections in 2026 which use a proportional representation method of voting.

'More debate and more choice'

Last week, the Reform UK party leader Richard Tice told BBC Wales that the main election issue was immigration.

"This should be an election about the huge pressures of mass immigration that is making everyone poorer around the United Kingdom both financially and in terms of the extra pressure on housing, rent and healthcare," he said.

Mr Tice added: "The two main parties stand for higher taxes, mass immigration and they haven't got a plan to get to zero wait times and better healthcare.

"Democracy is better when there is more debate and more choice. The choice between Labour and the Tories is actually the same choice, you're voting for higher taxes, mass immigration, you're voting to get poorer.

"If you want a smart immigration policy the smart thing to do is to vote Reform UK."

Reform insists it is targeting both Conservative and Labour voters, but evidence from recent by-elections suggests the Tories have the most to fear from the party, which Nigel Farage led from 2019 to 2021 when it was known as the Brexit Party.

Many Tories fear it could put a significant dent in Rishi Sunak's hopes of a return to Downing Street.

The number of MPs elected to Westminster from Wales is being reduced from 40 to 32.

With the exception of Ynys Môn, every Westminster constituency will see changes.