Sarah Cooper-Lesadd, a former Reform UK politician who defected to Plaid Cymru in September, has drawn a stark comparison between her former party's handling of criticism and the behaviour patterns seen in domestic abuse relationships. According to BBC News, Cooper-Lesadd made the remarks ahead of an ITV undercover investigation scheduled for broadcast on Sunday evening, which has documented concerning behaviour among party members and candidates.
Cooper-Lesadd was elected as a Member of the Senedd for Pen-y-bont Bro Morgannwg in May as a Reform UK candidate before switching to Plaid Cymru in September. She claimed in an interview with BBC-produced Newyddion S4C that she had experienced sexism and misogyny within the party during her membership and was not surprised by the allegations now emerging.
The ITV investigation, conducted over a 12-month period, has filmed several Reform supporters and candidates making racist and sexist comments. According to BBC reporting on the investigation, the footage involves eight Reform figures, with some having already resigned or been suspended. Reform councillors Alan Feeney and Chris Whelan left the party after their comments were reported, while Dean Miller also resigned and said he would sit as an independent.
Cooper-Lesadd detailed two specific incidents she said she experienced. She claimed a prominent party member told her she "looked like a screamer" during a political rally and alleged the same individual also said she "did not need to be elected as she could be replaced by a 60-year-old man." She described a broader culture of sexism and misogyny that prevented her from reporting these instances, saying she believed they "would not have been taken seriously" by the party.
How does Cooper-Lesadd characterise the party's defence strategy?
When asked whether Reform supporters had justification in labelling criticism as part of a "woke agenda", Cooper-Lesadd rejected this framing as part of the party's standard approach to deflecting accountability.
"Reform's playbook is if they can't defend the indefensible, they turn it on the person actually finding and making the allegations,"she said, comparing this tactic to how abusers respond when their behaviour is exposed.
"I think ultimately Reform needs to play within the rules other parties play by."
Her comments come as ITV's undercover reports have prompted fresh questions about Reform UK's candidate vetting processes, with the party disputing a former candidate's claim that he had failed vetting twice. ITV has said its undercover programme was made in compliance with broadcasting rules and laws and was in the public interest, rejecting Reform's accusation of electoral interference.
What has Reform UK said in response?
Reform UK has dismissed Cooper-Lesadd's allegations as false and called for her resignation. The party issued a statement describing her comments as "outright fabrications from an individual who lied her way into Welsh Parliament". The party argued that if Cooper-Lesadd had integrity, she would resign immediately and return her seat to a Reform representative rather than making what it characterised as invented claims to damage her former colleagues.
Reform UK expressed frustration that media outlets were treating her account seriously without, in the party's view, sufficient evidence to support her claims.
What broader concerns have emerged about Reform's culture?
The ITV investigation has documented troubling comments from multiple party figures. The footage has included examples of racist language, with Solihull deputy mayor Alan Feeney recorded calling Asian homeowners "parasites". A separate ITV report showed a Reform local party chairman advising an undercover reporter to delete social media posts supporting Tommy Robinson before encouraging him to apply to stand as a councillor.
Reform MP Sarah Pochin was filmed saying the party was "chauvinistic" and that women were excluded from positions of influence, though party leader Robert Jenrick rejected her characterisation. The ITV undercover reporters worked with Reform candidates and councillors across England and Wales, including in four by-election campaigns, gathering material over an extended period.
Cooper-Lesadd's defection to Plaid Cymru occurred during a turbulent period for Reform UK in Wales. This followed the resignation of the party's Welsh leader Dan Thomas after his arrest on suspicion of assault and controlling or coercive behaviour, as well as a subsequent leadership race won by Helen Jenner.
When will the ITV investigation be broadcast?
ITV's 90-minute documentary titled "Undercover: A Year in Reform" is scheduled to air on Sunday, 18 October, at 10:20pm on ITV1 and ITVX. The programme will present the findings of the year-long undercover investigation into the party's operations and the conduct of its members and candidates.
Reform UK has stated that all those featured in the programme are under investigation, with some having resigned and others having been suspended pending the outcome of disciplinary processes.
