Politician who switched from Reform to Plaid 'lied about her beliefs', says Richard Tice
Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice accused former Senedd Member Sarah Cooper-Lesadd of lying about her political beliefs before she defected to Plaid Cymru. Tice made these comments amidst a turbulent week for the party, which also saw its Welsh leader resign following an arrest on suspicion of assault and coercive behavior. Plaid Cymru defended Cooper-Lesadd, stating she was honest about her evolving views, while Tice insisted the party remains focused on key issues despite the recent controversies.
- ▪Richard Tice claimed Sarah Cooper-Lesadd deliberately misled Reform UK about her support for Welsh independence and her vote to Remain in the EU referendum.
- ▪Reform UK's Welsh leader resigned after being arrested on suspicion of assault and controlling or coercive behavior, with Helen Jenner emerging as the favorite to succeed him.
- ▪Sarah Cooper-Lesadd stated that Reform UK was more interested in division and headlines than in finding solutions, prompting her switch to Plaid Cymru.
- ▪Tice argued that the recent events have not distracted the party from tackling issues such as illegal migrant housing and small boat crossings.
- ▪Plaid Cymru responded by asserting that Cooper-Lesadd has been transparent about her political journey and acknowledged changes in her views.
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| Original publisher | BBC News — UK |
| Canonical URL | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvx2zd24e1e4o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss |
| Publication time | Sat, 19 Sep 2026 08:16:43 GMT |
| Retrieval time | 2026-09-19T08:18:46.134Z |
| Last seen | 2026-09-19T08:18:46.134Z |
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Politician who switched from Reform to Plaid 'lied about her beliefs', says Richard TiceImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Sarah Cooper-Lesadd was elected as a Member of the Senedd for Reform in MayByNick ServiniBBC Politics WalesPublished2 minutes agoReform UK's deputy leader has accused the party's former Senedd Member Sarah Cooper-Lesadd of lying to them about her political beliefs before she defected to Plaid Cymru.Richard Tice was speaking after a chaotic week for his party in which its Welsh leader resigned after being arrested on suspicion of assault and controlling or coercive behaviour.Helen Jenner, the party's deputy leader in Wales, is favourite to take over next week.Tice insisted the events had not distracted the party from the issues it was tackling, saying there were…
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