Reform politician banned from speaking in Welsh Parliament over comments about race and ethnicity

Max Thompson, Campaigns Officer

11 November 2026

Joe Martin, a Reform Senedd member, has been banned from speaking in the Welsh Parliament by the presiding officer, Huw Irranca-Davies, for what he described as 'discriminatory' and 'offensive' language used in a contribution in the chamber. Mr Irranca-Davies also characterised the intervention as 'unnecessarily provocative'.

The Senedd member for Caerdydd Penarth had asked the Welsh Government for a statement on what he called the 'demographic replacement of white British people'.

In the chamber on Tuesday 10 November, Mr Martin said:

"Can I have a statement from your Government on the demographic replacement of white British people taking place in the UK?"

"Because the scale of change has been breathtaking. Mass immigration and differing birth rates mean that, in just 37 years' time, in 2063, we will be a minority in our own country."

"That change has already taken place in London, Birmingham, Leicester, Slough, Luton and Manchester, and I don't want it to happen here."

"Indeed, at every opportunity, the majority of the electorate have wanted less immigration so that their nation can be preserved. A nation is not an economic zone, it's not a hotel, and neither is it a charity."

"It's a family, which is capable of absorbing people of all races if done at a sensible rate, but not if it's replaced altogether."

The presiding officer said:

"Whilst it is always possible to raise legitimate policy matters in relation to immigration in this Siambr [chamber], the focus of that contribution on race and ethnicity was clearly discriminatory, offensive, and detracted from the dignity of the Senedd."

"This is not the first time the member has pushed the boundaries in his contributions, and I have previously warned him about his conduct."

"Until I receive a clear indication that the member understands the boundaries of acceptable parliamentary conduct and apologises to the Siambr, we will not be calling the member to speak."

The Free Speech Union is deeply concerned by what has transpired in the Welsh Parliament, and by the precedent the presiding officer has set by sanctioning a democratically elected member for the concerns he raised on the floor of the chamber.

In a free and democratic society, we elect politicians to speak on our behalf about the many and varied concerns affecting us at both a local and a national level — no matter how uncomfortable or disagreeable those concerns may be.

The leader of Reform UK in Wales, Helen Jenner, posted her support for her colleague on social media, saying that "Reform stands with Joe Martin" and adding: "Freedom of speech must be protected at all costs." She went further, announcing that Reform would boycott proceedings in the Welsh Parliament to show its support for Mr Martin.

Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, also made his support for Mr Martin known in a post on X: "It is ridiculous and outrageous that Reform's duly elected Member of the Senedd, Joe Martin, has been banned from speaking in the Welsh Parliament."

"Why is it only Reform that's targeted like this?"

Over the past year, the Free Speech Union has grown increasingly alarmed at the weaponisation of the proceedings of legislative bodies (and especially of codes of conduct in local government) to silence democratically elected officials. In the majority of cases, these have targeted Reform UK and independent members who voice safeguarding and mainstream concerns.

This whole episode is a disgrace — and part of a wider problem in our politics. Democratically elected politicians must be free to represent the people who elected them.

Read more in The Telegraph.