Reform stands by election candidate appearing to do Nazi salute in picture
BBCReform is standing by one of its leading candidates for May's Welsh Parliament election after a photograph was published appearing to show him perform a Nazi salute.
In the picture Corey Edwards, a former Conservative ministerial adviser, is seen with his right arm in the air and with a finger under his nose.
Edwards admitted the photograph "looks bad and could be misinterpreted", and said he was imitating a Welsh footballer using the gesture.
A spokesperson for Reform has said: "We're not willing to write people off forever because of mistakes they made when they were young."
Corey Edwards was special adviser to Conservative Welsh Secretary David TC Davies between November 2022 and October 2023.
He was announced as the party's lead candidate for Pen-y-bont Bro Morgannwg on Wednesday evening, meaning if the party wins a seat in the Bridgend and Vale of Glamorgan constituency he will be elected.
Reform said the picture was taken in 2019.
It is not clear where the image, which was originally published by the Nation.Cymru news site on Thursday, was taken or obtained.
In a video posted to social media platform X, Edwards said the photo "predates when I even started working in politics".
According to his profile on LinkedIn, Edwards was a senior parliamentary assistant in the Commons from October 2019, and was a para legal prior to that.
In a statement Edwards said: "A photo from many years ago has been shared that I recognise looks bad and could be misinterpreted.
"There is a clear distinction between ordinary use of the appalling gesture, compared with me imitating a Welsh footballer's use of it, or indeed Basil Fawlty's walk."
He said the Nazi regime was "the most barbaric ever, and I'd never make light of nor dilute its seriousness".
"My dear grandfather fought against the Nazis and his brother-in-law was a Prisoner of War. I'm a staunch champion of Judaism, and it sickens me to see the recent openly antisemitic marches on the streets of Britain", he said.
"Like many young people, I have made mistakes. But I am proud of the person I am today and the values I stand for, and I hope that people judge me on the professionalism of how I conduct myself as a candidate and the contribution I can make going forward."
A Plaid Cymru spokesman said it was "utterly disgraceful" and said Reform had "serious questions to answer regarding their vetting process".
Reform has been attacking Plaid Cymru candidates for social media messages in recent days.
One Plaid candidate, Neil Roberts, resigned after Reform found a message which showed him using an offensive term for children in a conversation on Twitter.
