{{Short description|British politician (born c. 1981)}} {{about|the British politician|other uses}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2026}} {{Use British English|date=March 2026}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Dan Thomas | honorific_suffix = MS | image = Dan Thomas official photo 2026 (cropped).jpg | caption = Official portrait, 2026 | office = Leader of the Opposition in Wales | term_start = 12 May 2026 | term_end = | first_minister = Rhun ap Iorwerth | predecessor = Darren Millar | deputy = Helen Jenner | successor = | office1 = Leader of Reform UK Wales | deputy1 = Helen Jenner | leader1 = Nigel Farage | term_start1 = 5 February 2026 | term_end1 = | predecessor1 = Nathan Gill (2021) | successor1 = | office2 = Member of the Senedd<br/> for Casnewydd Islwyn | term_start2 = 8 May 2026 | term_end2 = | predecessor2 = ''Constituency established'' {{Collapsed infobox section begin|Other offices held|titlestyle=border: 1px dashed lightgrey;}} {{Infobox officeholder |embed=yes | office3 = Leader of Barnet London Borough Council | term_start3 = 21 May 2019 | term_end3 = 5 May 2022 | predecessor3 = Richard Cornelius | successor3 = Barry Rawlings | office4 = Member of Barnet London Borough Council for Finchley Church End | term_start4 = 4 May 2006 | term_end4 = 31 December 2025 }}{{Collapsed infobox section end}} | birth_name = Daniel Thomas | birth_place = South Wales Valleys, Wales | birth_date = {{circa}} {{Birth year and age|1981}} | party = Reform UK (since 2025) | other_party = Conservative (until 2025) | spouse = | children = 2 }} '''Daniel Thomas''' (born {{circa}} 1981) is a British politician who has served as leader of the opposition in Wales and leader of Reform UK Wales since 2026. He was elected as a member of the Senedd (MS) for Casnewydd Islwyn in the 2026 election.
Thomas previously served as a Member of Barnet London Borough Council for Finchley Church End from 2006 to 2025, and as Leader of Barnet London Borough Council from 2019 to 2022. Formerly a member of the Conservative Party, Thomas defected to Reform UK in 2025.
== Early life == Thomas was born and raised in the Welsh valleys, originally coming from Blackwood, Caerphilly.<ref name="Browne2">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cm2xl1gjeedo|date=5 February 2026|accessdate=5 February 2026|last=Browne|first=Adrian|title=Who is Reform UK's Welsh leader Dan Thomas?|website=BBC News}}</ref> He studied for A-levels at the Coleg Gwent campus in Crosskeys.<ref name=shipton>{{cite web |last=Shipton |first=Martin |date=6 February 2026 |title=Ex Tory councillor from London's appointment as Reform UK's leader in Wales 'a huge insult' |url=https://nation.cymru/news/ex-tory-councillor-from-londons-appointment-as-reform-uks-leader-in-wales-a-huge-insult/ |website=Nation.Cymru |access-date=6 April 2026}}</ref>
He said he left Wales in 1999 at the age of 18 due to a "lack of opportunities".<ref>https://www.itv.com/news/2026-02-05/former-tory-council-leader-dan-thomas-revealed-as-head-of-reform-uk-in-wales</ref>
He said he has a background in "financial services, retail banking".<ref>https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/dan-thomas-reform-uk-wales-33367499</ref>
== Career == thumb|left|Thomas as a councillor Thomas served as a Conservative Party councillor on Barnet London Borough Council from 2006 to 2025, serving as leader of the council from 2019 to 2022, and as leader of the opposition Conservative group on the council following 2022.
In the 2010 and 2017 general elections, he was the Conservative parliamentary candidate for Islwyn, coming second both times.<ref name="Browne">{{cite web |last=Browne |first=Adrian |date=5 February 2026 |title=Who is Reform UK's Welsh leader Dan Thomas? |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cm2xl1gjeedo |accessdate=5 February 2026 |website=BBC News}}</ref>
In the 2016 London Assembly election, he stood as the Conservative candidate for Barnet and Camden.
In 2018 while Dan Thomas was deputy council leader of Barnet, he and the council leader faced calls to resign from the leader of the Labour group on the council, after it came to light that a council worker, who was sentenced to 5 years in prison, had stolen £2 million by fraud from the council while working with Capita between 2016 and 2017.<ref>{{Cite news |date=27 September 2018 |title=Council under fire over contractor's £2m fraud |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-45641513 |work=The BBC}}</ref>
Following the birth of his son in summer 2024, he moved away from Barnet and announced he would be standing down from the council in the following year.
Dan Thomas defected to Reform UK in June 2025, stating: "I joined Reform because of their unwavering commitment to defending British culture, identity, and values."<ref name=":0">{{cite news |title=Former London Tory council leader latest to defect to Nigel Farage's Reform |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/former-london-conservative-council-leader-defects-nigel-farage-reform-dan-thomas-b1235658.html |work=The Standard |date=30 June 2025 |language=en |archive-date=29 August 2025 |access-date=5 February 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250829073918/https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/former-london-conservative-council-leader-defects-nigel-farage-reform-dan-thomas-b1235658.html |url-status=live }}</ref> He later resigned from the council on 31 December 2025, leaving a vacant seat heading into the 2026 election; the timing of the resignation meant a by-election was avoided.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Floyd |first1=David |title=Former council leader quits council |url=https://barnetpost.co.uk/2025/12/31/former-council-leader-quits-council/ |access-date=10 January 2026 |work=Barnet Post |date=31 December 2025}}</ref>
=== Leadership of Reform UK Wales === Thomas was announced as Leader of Reform UK Wales on 5 February 2026.<ref name="Browne" /> In that announcement, Reform UK leader, Nigel Farage, said: "He has voluntarily left London, come back to the Valleys, living in Islwyn, come back to his home, and he's done that because he loves Wales." However, ''Nation.Cymru'' reported that a source told it that Thomas had actually moved to Bath, England.<ref>{{Cite web |date=6 February 2026 |title=The new leader of Reform UK Wales lives in Bath, not Wales |url=https://nation.cymru/news/the-new-leader-of-reform-uk-wales-lives-in-bath-not-wales/ |website=Nation.Cymru}}</ref> Following speculation in the media about where Thomas lived, Reform UK said: "Dan lives in Wales. Any claim to the contrary is entirely false. He lives here in Wales, where he is raising his young family". They also confirmed that he owns a property portfolio, which included a property in Bath that is rented out and not his main residence.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sinclair |first=Tom |date=7 February 2026 |title=Reform rejects questions over new Welsh Leader Dan Thomas' residency |url=https://pembrokeshire-herald.com/131891/reform-rejects-questions-over-new-welsh-leader-dan-thomas-residency/ |work=The Pembrokeshire Herald}}</ref> ITV Wales confirmed they had seen proof that Dan Thomas was added to the electoral roll in the Caerphilly borough area in July 2025. A Reform UK spokesperson said: "Dan is on the electoral roll here in Wales".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mansfield |first=Mark |date=2026-02-08 |title=Reform UK's Welsh leader 'not on the electoral register in December 2025' |url=https://nation.cymru/news/reform-uks-welsh-leader-not-on-the-electoral-register-in-december-2025/ |access-date=2026-02-08 |website=Nation.Cymru |language=en-GB}}</ref>
Following a series of controversies relating to the party's selections, Thomas appointed Helen Jenner as the party's deputy leader.<ref name=":02">{{Cite news |last=Price|first=Emily|date=2026-04-01|title=Reform Wales appoints deputy leader as Senedd campaign threatens to stall|url=https://nation.cymru/news/reform-wales-appoints-deputy-leader-as-senedd-campaign-threatens-to-stall/|work=Nation.Cymru}}</ref>
In the 2026 Senedd election he was elected and became Leader of the Opposition. He will appoint the Thomas shadow cabinet.
In May 2026, Corey Edwards, a man who has appeared to do a Nazi salute, was appointed as an adviser to Thomas. Plaid Cymru and Labour criticised the appointment.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2026-05-26 |title=Corey Edwards: Man who appeared to do Nazi salute becomes Reform adviser |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c74rrr9lmm3o |access-date=2026-05-26 |website=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref>
== Personal life == Thomas has a wife and two young sons. The family moved from Barnet in 2024 so that Thomas and his wife could raise their young sons in the countryside, and live closer to their families in South Wales.<ref name="Browne"/>
== See also == * List of Conservative Party defections to Reform UK
== References == {{Reflist}}
{{s-start}} {{s-ppo}} {{s-bef|before=Nathan Gill (2021)}} {{s-ttl|title=Leader of Reform UK Wales|years=2026–present}} {{s-inc}} |- {{s-par|wal}} {{s-bef|before=Constituency created}} {{s-ttl|title=Member of the Senedd for Casnewydd Islwyn|years=2026–present}} {{s-inc}} |- {{s-off}} {{s-bef|before=Darren Millar}} {{s-ttl|title=Leader of the Opposition in Wales|years=2026–present}} {{s-inc}} {{s-end}}
{{Current MSs}} {{Reform UK}} {{Reform UK Wales}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thomas, Dan}} Category:Living people Category:Leaders of Reform UK Wales Category:Reform UK councillors Category:Reform UK members of the Senedd Category:Conservative Party (UK) councillors Category:Councillors in the London Borough of Barnet Category:Leaders of local authorities in London Category:UK councillors 2006–2010 Category:UK councillors 2010–2014 Category:UK councillors 2014–2018 Category:UK councillors 2018–2022 Category:UK councillors 2022–2026 Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:People from Blackwood, Caerphilly Category:Wales MSs 2026–2031