Former Welsh Conservative MS James Evans has joined Reform UK, becoming the party’s second Member of the Senedd after former Conservative Laura Anne Jones switched in July.

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The announcement was made at a Reform UK conference in Newport this morning, where party leader Nigel Farage welcomed Mr Evans to the lectern.

Mr Evans, who represents Brecon and Radnorshire, was sacked by the Conservatives in January amid suspicions he was planning to defect. He immediately became an independent MS and said at the time he would take time to consider his political future.

At this morning’s conference, Mr Evans launched a broadside against Welsh politics, claiming both Wales and Britain are “broken” after decades of Cardiff Bay rule. He said the failure of politics lay not only in poor outcomes for people, but in the refusal of those in power to acknowledge problems.

“I said that Wales was broken. I said that Britain was broken. And for that honesty to myself and to the people of Wales, I was kicked out,” he said.

Mr Evans has been highly critical of Reform in the past, a matter which he addressed during his speech. One example dates back to March last year, when he spoke on ITV television following a group of Powys councillors joining Reform UK. At the time, he said the party had slogans and complaints but no serious policies for Wales, adding that it “does not have a plan for Wales.” Today, he told the audience he acknowledged his past criticism of the party.

“I have criticised Reform in the past. I've done it publicly, and I'm not hiding away from it, and I am certainly not going to rewrite history. But serious people, not career politicians, reassess when the reality refuses to go away,” he said.

“I looked again. I listened, I read the detail, and I saw a movement that has grown, and starts where the other parties refuse to start, with the truth that Britain is broken, that Wales is broken, and nothing, nothing gets fixed until you're willing to admit it.”

During his speech, Mr Evans outlined his priorities, vowing that the NHS will remain free at the point of use. Drawing on his experience as Shadow Health Secretary, he promised to work with clinicians rather than against them, pursuing “serious reforms rather than slogans.”

He also highlighted the importance of rural Wales, where he was born and raised, arguing that farmers and rural communities are part of the solution, not the problem, and that Reform UK would “stand shoulder to shoulder” with them.

Mr Evans also launched an attack the Welsh media, claiming it was “driven by left-wing activists who pass themselves off as journalists” and added that much of the media acts like “unpaid campaigners” for Labour or Plaid Cymru.

Reactions to the defection have been swift. Speaking to BBC Wales, First Minister Eluned Morgan described Reform UK as “absolutely packed with Tories jumping ship… trying to save their own skins,” arguing the party was not focused on the interests of Wales.

Jane Dodds, leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats and Mid and West Wales MS, said Evans had “broken the trust” of voters in Brecon and Radnorshire.

"By switching parties without facing the voters, James Evans has broken the trust of people who backed him in Brecon and Radnorshire who believed he would provide steady representation for this area. That trust matters in a rural constituency like ours, where politics is personal and reputation counts,” she said.

Plaid Cymru leader, Rhun ap Iorwerth said the defection “should come as no surprise to the people of Wales.”

“Now, there is no doubt that Reform UK are simply recycled, washed-out Tories looking for a new political home now the Conservatives are dead in the water,” he said.

James Evans was elected MS for Brecon and Radnorshire in May 2021. He served as Shadow Minister for Mental Health, Wellbeing and Mid Wales from 2021 to 2024, Shadow Minister for Rural Affairs for part of 2024, and most recently as Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care under Darren Millar until January.

The Newport conference also saw Dan Thomas, a former Tory councillor, named as Reform UK’s new Welsh leader.

The ex-leader of Barnet council, who is originally from Blackwood, told the audience: "With you, the people's army, Reform will be the change that Wales desperately needs."

"After 27 years I’m back home. Raising my two boys in the South Wales valleys. I’ve come back to where I belong," said Mr Thomas.

After the conference, Mr Evans posted on Facebook explaining his decision. He said he had taken time to read the party’s policies, meet people, and reflect before concluding that Reform UK “is the party that will fight to save our country.”

“Politics is personal, and so is this choice. But I reached a point where I had to be honest with myself and with the people I represent. I could no longer stand on a platform or knock on doors defending things I didn’t believe were right for Wales,” he wrote.

He said he loves Wales and is proud of its communities, adding that “real change can only begin with honesty” before thanking his team and his constituents for their “kindness, patience, and support”.

“This decision comes from a place of reflection, not anger, and from a desire to keep fighting for the Wales I believe in,” he said.

“I will continue to work every day for the people I serve and I will first and foremost keep fighting for the people of Brecon and Radnorshire.”