Nigel Farage's vow to reopen mines in Wales 'a backward-looking vision'
Nigel Farage's vow to reopen mines in Wales 'a backward-looking vision'
The Reform UK leader was in Port Talbot on Wednesday where he vowed to reopen the town's steelworks and bring coal mining back to the Welsh Valleys
Reform UK leader, Nigel Farage
(Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne )
Reform UK chief Nigel Farage has outlined a series of proposals including the abolition of the default 20mph speed limit, prioritising "Welsh people" for housing queues and reinstating coal mining in Wales. Wales Online readers are, on the whole, not convinced.
Moreover, he has declared his party's aim to "reopen Port Talbot's steelworks". Despite Tata Steel currently owning the operational steelworks, the remaining blast furnaces were shuttered in 2024 with plans to construct an electric arc furnace for steel recycling. This transition is resulting in the loss of thousands of jobs.
At a press conference in Port Talbot, when pressed about the funding for reigniting the blast furnaces - an idea deemed unfeasible by industry specialists - he acknowledged that the total cost would be "in the low billions", meaning it would need substantial investment from the UK Government.
Farage, in a WalesOnline article, mentioned that Reform UK's would "allow coal, if suitable, to be mined in Wales". When asked if people would actually want to work down mines, he responded that they would if they were paid enough.
The latest opinion poll in Wales indicates that his party is on track to secure its first seats at the Senedd in the forthcoming May 2026 election. Currently, the party's presence in Wales is limited to councillors, yet a recent YouGov/Barn Cymru survey for the election for the Welsh Parliament next May places Reform UK as runner-up with 25% of the vote. They are trailing narrowly behind Plaid Cymru, who are forecasted to receive 30%, and passing Labour which stands at 18%.
Moreover, Reform said they would stop any properties from being used as accommodation for asylum seekers, will end funding for the Welsh Refugee Council, and will abolish the Welsh Government's "Nation of Sanctuary" policy.
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He further pledged to establish an Elon Musk-inspired department aimed at reducing costs. He said: "A Reform UK Senedd will also save hundreds of millions each year by cutting bureaucracy, waste and bad management. The establishment of Welsh DOGE will help us uncover where there is woke and wasteful spending and we will make sure those funds are redirected to frontline services."
Commenter Shane1976 says: 'I cannot believe how gullible people are. Where is the money coming from to [reopen] the steel works and the mines? Where are the miners coming from? This man promised the world with Brexit and Welsh voters believed him and Wales is worse off for it.'
Ironside agrees: 'It was Mr Farage's idea to leave the EU in the first place when he was with UKIP and the Brexit Party. He fooled the British people, including myself, that leaving the EU would make things better instead Brexit has been a total disaster for the UK and Wales."
Thebear2025 adds: 'I honestly do not believe him. He is just saying what he thinks the people of Wales want. While I think Labour definitely have to go, I don't think Reform is the answer to our prayers and will backtrack once in power the same as the other parties do.'
Tigerbay replies: 'Reform will do well in Wales, but only because of the mess the other parties are making!'
Exess60 wonders: 'As far as the steel works goes, do the good long suffering people of Port Talbot really want to revert to the filthy fog that blemished their environment and caused so much ill health for over a century? Surely that was yesterday, not the future!'
DaisyDD writes: 'We want mining again in the Valleys. Our lads need work and it kept our communities together. Face it we are getting ready for war and need to be more self-sufficient for our steel. Opening Port Talbot's blast furnaces with coal again is a great idea. It should never have been allowed to close.'
Numbersontheleft replies: 'I am not a Reform supporter but there are a lot of really good points in Farage's speech. It's simply wrong that steel will no longer be made in Wales.
"Getting rid of the nation of sanctuary, blanket 20mph and the extra 36 MSs are policies any sane party should be supporting. And who wouldn't support improved efficiency and reduced waste in our public sector. The other parties are trying their best to rubbish Reform, but they are clearly worried that Farage is saying the things their voters want them to be saying.'
Robo78 believes: 'It sounds like Nigel Farage wants to give us the jobs that no one else wants to do; this will enlarge our brain drain, not tackle it. What we need in Wales is a coherent, long-term strategy that links skills training to meaningful local employment.
"Proposals like Farage's often present a narrow, backward-looking vision: one focused on recreating large-scale, traditional industrial jobs that are no longer economically viable, rather than planning for how these vital skills can be integrated into a modern, diverse Welsh economy.'
Numbersontheleft retorts: 'So you think steel making, welding, plumbing, robotics, electrical trades, and industrial automation are jobs nobody else wants to do? Whilst in the real world, Wales and Britain desperately need construction trades to build homes and infrastructure. Also manufacturing the things we use, instead of importing goods manufactured in other countries.'
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Would you like to see heavy industry back in the South Wales Valleys? Is Reform the answer to Wales' woes? Have your say in our comments section.
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