'They are more straight-talking' Farage's party gaining support in Wales

Crossing Gwent Square on a cold, crisp day in Cwmbran, married couple Maxine and David Griffin have more in common with each other than they did a year ago. In July, the Brexit supporters both voted for Reform UK in the constituency of Torfaen; it was the first time they had both voted for the same party.

- Jamie Grierson

Maxine, 52, who works in a cafe, had previously voted Conservative, while David, 55, a postman and union rep, had always voted Labour. "I used to vote Conservative, but obviously they were so terrible that I wasn't going to vote for them any more. And Labour? I wouldn't vote for Labour anyway," Maxine said.

"For me, Reform were just more straight-talking, say it how it is, whereas I always find Conservative or Labour, they just tell you what you want to hear. But you just know that when they get in, they don't do what they say."

David, nodding, adds: "I don't trust [Keir] Starmer, so that's why I voted for Reform."

Lack of faith in politics is a running theme among the voters the Guardian interviewed; the majority said they would not vote for any party. But of those who would vote, Reform supporters were easy to find.

It is unsurprising, then, that the party is making loud noises in Wales, declaring earlier this month it was "leading in Wales" and was now the "official opposition" to Labour in the Senedd, which is due to hold elections in May 2026.

This confidence comes after the party's Welsh conference in Newport on 8 November, at which it published a seemingly encouraging poll showing 26% of voters in Wales would vote Reform, compared with 24% who would vote Labour.

The south Wales valleys are home to numerous post-industrial towns that were hit by the decline of the coal industry - similar to other targets in South Yorkshire that the Reform leader, Nigel Farage, has revealed to be in his sights. So if the party is to deliver on these forecasts, who does it need to convince, and what does it need to campaign on? Olivia Jones, 32, a paramedic who lives in Cwmbran, engages with politics mostly on social media, particularly Instagram.

"Lots of friends repost reels of different things about the Reform party," she said, adding that she would consider voting for them.