Darts star Gerwyn Price has publicly endorsed Reform UK ahead of the Welsh Senedd elections scheduled for May. The 2021 world champion, widely known as the Iceman, was photographed holding a party-branded placard bearing the message 'I'm voting Reform UK'. This marks a continuation of his consistent support for Nigel Farage's party.
Price recently shared a post on Facebook that read: 'Be careful what you wish for people, vote Reform UK Wales.' The post garnered attention, particularly as the Welsh electorate prepares to elect 96 members to the Senedd, the devolved Welsh Parliament, on May 7. This date coincides with local elections in England, where approximately 5,000 seats across 136 local councils will be contested.
Price's endorsement was welcomed by Dan Thomas, the leader of Reform Wales, who wrote: 'Thrilled to have the support of the Iceman. From one Valleys boy to another, thank you, Gerwyn.' Despite Price's vocal backing, his previous efforts to boost support for Reform have not yielded electoral success. In October, he urged voters to support Llyr Powell in the Caerphilly by-election, but Powell was defeated by Plaid Cymru's candidate, Lindsay Whittle.
Interestingly, in September, Reform's first ever Senedd politician, Laura Anne Jones, hinted that the party might consider abolishing the devolved body. She stated: 'We need to try and make the Senedd work for the people of Wales, but if it doesn't, we need to question whether the Senedd is really adding value to Wales.'
Price first indicated his support for Reform in July of the previous year, when he briefly changed his Facebook profile picture to the party's logo. The darts star resides in Markham, approximately a 20-minute drive from Caerphilly in south-east Wales. His home includes a 'man cave of dreams' featuring a snooker table, pool table, cinema screen, and a darts board with framed memorabilia from his career.
While darts players rarely engage in political commentary, Price may find himself at odds with fellow player Michael van Gerwen, who in 2019 described Brexit as 'Brex-s***'. Van Gerwen, a Dutchman, criticized the UK's departure from the European Union, saying: 'I hope I’m going to get a visa. It’s horrible isn’t it? Did you vote for Brexit? Brex-shit. I don’t like it. Look at the pound and the euro. I get everything paid in pounds so just have a look how much it dropped. Let’s say it dropped by 10%, that’s cost me 10% of my prize money straight away. So that’s quite a lot of money. But it’s not only that. It’s horrible.'
