Reform UK candidate Corey Edwards has withdrawn from the Welsh Senedd election campaign, citing mental health issues, after a photograph emerged showing him apparently performing a Nazi salute. The party confirmed his decision on Friday, following days of controversy.
The image, published by Nation.Cymru, depicts Edwards raising his right arm with a finger of his left hand under his nose. Initially, party leader Nigel Farage defended Edwards, suggesting he was impersonating Basil Fawlty from the BBC sitcom Fawlty Towers. Edwards himself claimed he was imitating Welsh goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey, who made a similar gesture in 2019.
A Reform UK Wales spokesperson stated: "Corey Edwards has informed us that he is stepping down as a candidate for the Senedd election this May, citing issues with his mental health. We wish him well for the future and hope his privacy can be respected at this difficult time."
The incident adds to a series of candidate controversies for Reform UK. In Scotland, four candidates stood down or were suspended within a week of being announced, including Stuart Niven, who was struck off as a company director. Others shared offensive or far-right content on social media.
In Wales, the party's sole Senedd member, Laura Anne Jones, was suspended from parliament last November for using a racial slur. The May 7 Senedd elections will proceed with Edwards no longer on the ballot.
