Nigel Farage struggles to name an 'inspirational' Welsh person as he talks up Reform taking power in Cardiff - and cools talk of reviving steel making
Nigel Farage struggled to name an 'inspirational figure' from Welsh history today as he played up Reform's chances of taking power in Cardiff.
The party leader said that his party was the only real alternative to Labour in the Senedd as he spoke in Port Talbot ahead of elections next May.
But he faced a barrage of questions about a key part of his party's pledge: to reopen Welsh coal mines to allow steel-making to restart at Port Talbot's blast furnace, which was shut down by owner Tata Steel last year.
Last night Mr Farage told the Mail the party was 'serious about reindustrialisation', adding: 'Our long-term aim is to hopefully reopen Port Talbot steelworks – and instead of importing coal for it, use our own.'
Today he said it was an 'ambition' to reheat the plant's blast furnace, admitting it would cost 'in the low billions to do it'.
Critics say it would cost far more, if it could be done at all.
Mr Farage was also put on the spot after a speech in which he waxed lyrical about Wales' proud industrial heritage.
Asked by a reporter to name his 'most inspirational figure from Welsh history, living or dead', he replied: 'Probably a family member actually, a great uncle, but that's another story.'
In his speech Mr Farage accused Labour of having 'betrayed Wales's great heritage' after the plant, once one of the world's largest, closed its last blast furnace last October.
It was a huge blow to the south Wales town, with at least 2,500 skilled, well-paid jobs being lost.
The owner, Tata, plans to build an electric-arc furnace, which is said to be greener.
But some fear the electric furnaces, which may be in use by the end of 2027, won't open thanks to their sky-high energy bills.
Mr Farage argued mining coking coal from nearby pits would allow the old blast furnaces to reopen, because burning it to power them would be a cheaper way of kick-starting steel production.
Before its closure, Port Talbot was importing coal from as far afield as Australia. Mr Farage argued that Labour has been too obsessed with hitting its Net Zero targets and it should have looked into this option to prevent the steelworks closing.
He stressed, however, that mines would only be reopened to get the steelworks going again, not for wider use.
Reform party sources also said the plan to reopen the steelworks was a 'long-term' one, saying beforehand: 'We know it won't be quick nor easy.'
Jess Ralston, analyst at the Energy & Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) said: 'The blast furnaces in Port Talbot were shut down last year, and can't simply be re-started once they have been closed – it would be hugely expensive too. More coal from Wales won't affect that.'
It will be seen as Reform's latest attempt to park its tanks on Labour's lawn in its traditional working-class heartlands.
Wales once had 620 mines employing 232,000 people and produced 57million tons of coal a year when the industry was at its height. Its last deep mine closed in 2008.
Labour has controlled the Senedd, Wales's parliament, since it was created in 1999. But Reform believes it can topple the party's stranglehold at the elections next May.
In a YouGov poll last month, Mr Farage's party came second with 25 per cent behind Plaid Cymru on 30 per cent. Labour was third with 18 per cent, less than half the 39 per cent it won in 2021.
Mr Farage's speech comes after Reform won 26 per cent of the vote in last week's Scottish parliament by-election in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse. Pollster Professor Sir John Curtice said it now posed a serious threat to Labour elsewhere in the UK.
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South Wales Argus
22 minutes ago
- South Wales Argus
Nigel Farage calls for ‘re-industrialisation' of Wales
On a visit to South Wales, the leader of Reform UK said the resumption of traditional steelmaking and coal production is the party's long-term ambition if it comes to power. The speech came one year ahead of the Senedd elections in May next year, where the party is looking to end Labour's 26 years of domination. Addressing reporters, Mr Farage acknowledged that plans to open a traditional furnace could take years and cost 'in the low billions'. The GMB Union has branded the plans 'more lies from an opportunistic chancer'. Port Talbot's remaining blast furnaces were shut down in September, with a new electric arc furnace being built in their place. Tata Steel, the owner of the plant, said the closure of the furnaces was necessary, with the steelworks losing £1m a day. 'Our ambition is to re-industrialise Wales,' Mr Farage said. 'We are going to be using more steel over the next few years than we have probably ever used. 'As we increase military spending and as we attempt a house building programme in Wales, and even more so in England, of massive proportions, just to catch up with the population explosion over the last 20 years, we are going to need a lot of steel.' Tata Steel's Port Talbot steelworks in south Wales (Ben Birchall/PA) The Reform leader said 'specific types of coal' are needed in the UK, particularly for a new blast furnace. 'I'm not saying let's open all of the pits,' he said. 'What I am saying is coal, specific types of coal for certain uses that we still need in this country – and we certainly will need for the blast furnaces here – we should be producing ourselves rather than importing.' While he acknowledged 'mining is dangerous', Mr Farage said the industry could provide well-paying jobs. The Reform leader acknowledged the plan to open a new furnace would cost 'in the low billions' and would be 'no easy thing'. 'It's a massive, expensive job to reopen blast furnaces, we're going to need cheaper energy, we're going to need much cheaper coal, we are going to need private business partners prepared to come into a joint venture,' he said. Responding to the GMB Union allegations that his party's plans were 'lies', Mr Farage said the union was tied to the Labour Party as one of its biggest funders. He said: 'They see us as a challenge, and therefore, they'll be rude about us. 'What you will find is that increasingly, GMB members are going to vote for us, and the more GMB members vote for us, the more upset GMB officials and leaders will become. 'Frankly, the trade unions have done nothing to protect British workers through open borders over the last 20-25 years.' During his speech, Mr Farage said he doubted that the electric arc furnace, which is due to come online in 2028, 'will ever, ever be switched on'. Challenged on what evidence he had, he argued that with British energy prices being so high, it would be producing 'very, very expensive secondary steel'. He added: 'I hope I'm wrong, an electric arc furnace is not the real deal, but it's better than nothing.' Mr Farage said the party's campaign for the Senedd election next May 'starts today', but would not say when Reform would announce a leader in Wales. Regional officer Ruth Brady, speaking at the GMB's annual conference in Brighton, said: 'The people of Port Talbot will see this for what it is – more lies from this opportunistic chancer. 'Nigel Farage was happy to let British Steel go to the wall. He'll trot out any line when the cameras are rolling. He doesn't care about steel communities or steel workers.' Ms Brady said the plans to shut the blast furnaces were made by the last Tory government and the union wanted Labour to 'make good on their promises to our members in Port Talbot'. Political opponents hit out at Reform's plans, with a Welsh Labour spokesperson saying the people of Wales would 'see through' Mr Farage's false hopes and promises. 'His answer is to bring back the mines. The only thing Nigel Farage is trying to mine is votes from communities that have already gone through tough times,' they said. 'Nigel Farage has today brought his fantasy politics and magic money tree to Port Talbot. He's gambling with real people's livelihoods.' Darren Millar, leader of the Welsh Conservatives in the Senedd, accused Mr Farage of making 'wild promises' without speaking to Tata. Welsh Liberal Democrat MP David Chadwick argued mining was Wales' past, not its future. Nigel Farage acknowledged 'mining is dangerous' but said the industry could provide well-paying jobs (Ben Birchall/PA) 'My relatives in South Wales worked hard to ensure that their children and grandchildren wouldn't have to do the dangerous work of going down the pits and for future generations to have better opportunities in life,' he said. 'The fact that Nigel Farage doesn't see this shows how poorly he understands Welsh communities.' Heledd Fychan, speaking for Plaid Cymru, accused Mr Farage of 'taking advantage' after the industry said reopening the existing furnaces would be 'impossible.' 'You can imagine my surprise at his calls to reopen the coal mines in Wales, especially considering the actions taken by his political hero, Margaret Thatcher,' she said. 'Reform clearly have no interest in actually improving the lives of the people of Wales, they can only come up with unrealistic and unsubstantiated headlines that will be of no material benefit to the people of Port Talbot or Wales. Greenpeace also hit out at the plans, saying bringing back British coal 'has about as much chance of success as resurrecting dinosaurs'.
Spectator
25 minutes ago
- Spectator
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'Our ambition is to reindustrialise Wales,' Reform's Nigel Farage announced to a small room lit up with turquoise lights at the back of Port Talbot's Plaza Café. The Reform leader had chosen the ideal place to launch his long campaign for the Senedd next May. The town's last traditional blast furnace closed in October; Farage wants to see them reopened. 'A Reform government based in Cardiff is going to be very different,' he smiled at the assembled press pack. 'It's going to be very, very different indeed.' Reform UK's campaign in Wales is targeted at working-class, non-graduate voters fed up with their failing public services and lack of opportunity. It's not just industry the party is focusing on here: Farage promised that under a Reform administration, Welsh people would be first in line for social housing. He wants to launch as many trades and skills colleges as possible so that young people from the age of 15 can begin to work in engineering and AI – a move which the Reform leader hopes will lead to further investment in the area.
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