Background on Derek Roberts and Reform Party
A man whose social media account contained numerous racist and anti-Muslim messages is currently employed by a Reform Senedd politician as a special adviser.
Derek Roberts, who resigned as a Reform candidate for the 2024 Senedd election following concerns raised within the party about his Facebook account, is now working for Reform's Gaz Thomas.
In one post reviewed by BBC Wales, a racial slur was used to describe people from Pakistan, while another post openly supported far-right activist Tommy Robinson.
The posts, dated from 2022 to 2025, have raised questions regarding the party's vetting procedures. Reform in the Senedd stated:
"We do not comment on our internal hiring processes."
Roberts has not responded to requests for comment on the social media posts. Gaz Thomas has also not replied to the BBC.
Timeline of Roberts’ Candidacy and Resignation
In March 2023, Roberts was announced as the second-place candidate for Reform in the Pen-y-Bont Bro Morgannwg constituency, which covers Bridgend and the Vale of Glamorgan.
At the end of March 2023, it was unexpectedly announced that Roberts would not stand as a candidate. Reform cited "personal reasons" for his withdrawal but did not provide further details.
A source close to Reform UK informed the BBC that concerns had been raised about a Facebook account in Roberts’ name prior to his resignation.
BBC Wales was told that Reform conducted an internal investigation following these concerns. Roberts was subsequently replaced as a candidate.
In a phone call last week, Roberts disputed that his replacement was due to social media posts and stated he had voluntarily stood down.
Current Role and Context
Despite stepping down as a candidate, Roberts has since been appointed as a special adviser to Gaz Thomas, who replaced him as Reform's second candidate in the same constituency.
Had Roberts remained a candidate on 7 May 2024, it is likely he would have been elected as a Member of the Senedd.
Roberts’ appointment as an adviser follows similar news regarding Corey Edwards, who also stepped down from the same constituency list after a photo surfaced appearing to show him performing a Nazi salute. Edwards was subsequently appointed as a special adviser to Welsh Reform leader Dan Thomas.
Reform stated that Edwards stepped down as a Senedd candidate citing "issues with his mental health."
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage commented that Edwards had been impersonating Basil Fawlty, although Edwards’ statement at the time suggested he was also impersonating a Welsh footballer.
Details of Offensive Social Media Posts
BBC Wales has reviewed copies of dozens of offensive Facebook posts attributed to an account in Roberts’ name, featuring inflammatory language and spanning from 2022 to 2025.
None of these posts are publicly accessible, and BBC Wales has not seen them directly on his account.
In September 2022, the account posted a series of racist jokes about floods in Pakistan, including one that used a racial slur targeting Pakistanis.
Another post from the same month appeared to criticize the ethnic background of a Plaid Cymru councillor.
In July 2022, a post referencing a article about a murdered grooming victim appeared to express support for far-right activist Tommy Robinson.
Several posts criticized former Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf, focusing on his Muslim faith.
One post about Yousaf in April 2023 stated:
"At last this vile man is getting kicked out of Scottish government!"
Other posts commented on the Welsh Labour leadership race in December 2023.
Referring to a photograph of former Labour minister Jeremy Miles, who was pictured to the right of Eluned Morgan and Vaughan Gething, a post read:
"Let's face it, the guy on the right won't get it unless he is gay or a Muslim."
A message about Sir Keir Starmer appeared to criticize the prime minister but combined it with an anti-Muslim statement.
Concerns About Reform’s Vetting Process
A source close to Reform UK told the BBC:
"Reform had a real vetting problem.
"If this level of material was discoverable in relation to a number two Senedd candidate, who had also been through councillor and Senedd vetting, then I could not understand how the party could have confidence in the wider vetting of thousands of candidates elsewhere."
"This is about whether political parties who ask for public trust apply their standards consistently, whether their vetting processes are robust and whether they value people of integrity or simply those willing to say yes."
When asked if Reform in the Senedd stood by Roberts as a staff member or disputed any part of the story, the party did not directly answer but stated:
"We do not comment on our internal hiring processes, staff members are not public-facing elected members."
Roberts has not responded to questions regarding the social media posts attributed to his account.
Warning: The article contains strong language that some readers may find offensive.
