This past week, Nigel Farage took to Wales Online to outline his vision for Wales, ahead of the 2026 Senedd elections.
His article, published on Sunday, June 8th, at 10:30 PM, bears all the hallmarks of what is to be expected from a regressive, right-wing populist voice such as Mr Farage.
Firstly, his first reference to Wales isn’t of the 20s, the 10s, the 00s, or any time in modern history; it’s 1851. Mr Farage’s entire argument relies upon the 1851 census to justify Reform’s manifesto, citing the number of people in industrial jobs rather than agricultural ones, and even makes the bold claim that Reform will “reindustrialise Wales” by reopening coal mines, in one of his many attempts to defeat “woke spending”.
Of course, I can’t speak for everyone in Wales, but I can for my family. My grandparents’ relatives worked down the mines, and they did not live to see past 50 years old due to ill health and complications related to coal dust in their lungs. I’ve no doubt this story is the same for so many others in Wales. Nobody in their right mind wants to see the mines reopened.
Mr Farage goes on, moving from the coal mines to the need for regional technical colleges, to teach young people trades such as welding, plumbing and industrial automation. While I am far from opposed to apprenticeships and believe they are vital for providing a wide variety of career choices, Mr Farage’s support for them doesn’t stem from the same sentiment. He believes that there are “useful degrees,” and that people not studying science, technology, engineering, medicine, or mathematics need not bother going to university and should instead invest in a trade.
For reference, I studied business management at Swansea University, achieving a first-class honours, and now work in higher education. I’m one of the first in my family to go to university, and my prospects have never been better. But I suppose I should have learned a trade, according to Mr Farage.
And finally, the kicker: Mr Farage wants to establish a Welsh Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), similar to the department set-up (and now torn down due to its inefficiency) by Donald Trump and Elon Musk, which has been estimated to cost the American taxpayer up to $135 billion.
The reason for this? Mr Farage wants to redirect all that “woke and wasteful funding” to frontline services; the same services, like the NHS, he wants to see have their funding removed, or like the fire service, whose union the Fire Brigade Union (FBU) condemned Reform UK and called for people not to support them during the Runcorn and Helsby by-election.
What’s the main takeaway from Mr Farage’s article and the subsequent speech he made at Port Talbot? Reform wants to drag Wales back into the past, socially and economically.
* Jack Meredith is a Welsh Liberal Democrat member. He is the spokesperson for Centre Think Tank on Social Security.
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20 Comments
Having had some work done this week, I’ve heard a plumber and an electrician bemoaning the lack of apprenticeships these days, and the shortage of young skilled tradespeople coming through.
There is nothing second-rate about ‘investing in a trade’. And we can’t solve a housing crisis or ‘rebuild Britain’ without tradespeople.
Meanwhile, having mentored a bunch of young graduates a few years ago, I did find myself wondering if they’d done the right thing, saddling themselves with massive debts to enter a career with few prospects. For all that I believe that education isn’t just about getting a job.
They were then on £3k above the minimum wage, while an electrician I knew was earning twice as much. (None of them I see on LinkedIn has had ‘great prospects’ since. One is working in a coffee shop).
Otherwise, no, Wales doesn’t need or want coal mines. But shutting the mines in the 1980s blighted whole towns and villages that have never recovered. At best, Valleys towns have become dormitories for the cities. While once ‘respectable’ social housing estates have massive social problems.
And it’s that blight and despair and sense that politicians over the last 40 years have done nothing to make things better that led to Valleys folk voting for Brexit and now turning to Reform.
Like so many post industrial UK towns, Wales is seeing demographic changes in their communities that they never asked or were consulted on. These have been rapid and significant. Many in those communities are deeply troubled by what they see in areas that were already struggling.
No amount of diversity is our strength mantra is going to hide from the reality that many voters have had enough of these changes.
@Cassie
“There is nothing second-rate about ‘investing in a trade’.”
What I wrote in my piece: “While I am far from opposed to apprenticeships and believe they are vital for providing a wide variety of career choices”. I’m not sure if it was general frustration you were venting, or if you misread my article, but I never claimed investing in a trade was second-rate.
@Greg Hyde
“No amount of diversity is our strength mantra is going to hide from the reality that many voters have had enough of these changes.”
I’m not sure if you were airing a general resentment with empty messaging or if this was directed at my article, but I didn’t write about that. I reviewed what Farage said and drew comparisons to the fact that he is mirroring President Trump’s regressive policies.
@Jack.
You wrote: “I’m one of the first in my family to go to university, and my prospects have never been better. But I suppose I should have learned a trade, according to Mr Farage.”
You may not have intended it, but that comes across as ‘Farage thinks I should have settled for something inferior’.
(The line about ‘investing in a trade’ rather than ‘bothering’ to do an arts degree also gave a similar impression).
Jack; It’s immaterial what Farage is mirroring. What matters is that many voters have become hardened to further inward immigration. They’ve seen no economic benefit from that, only communities in perpetual decline. Having HMO’s full of asylum seekers isn’t going to enrich the area. Far too many progressive politicians are immune from the effects on those towns, & a listening ear and sympathy ain’t enough these days.
@Greg Hyde
Again, I hear your point, but I don’t understand what it has to do with Farage making claims of reopening mines and introducing a Welsh DOGE. I’d be more than happy to read a piece from you on the subject, however, as it’s clear you are passionate and have a lot of thoughts on the matter 🙂
@Cassie
Ah, I see. My apologies for not being more straightforward: the point I was trying to make was the opposite – that Farage views my degree as inferior to a trade, rather than the other way around. The reality is that neither is inferior to the other, as both have their strengths and weaknesses. However, the point I was trying to make is that Farage views university as a waste of time for those pursuing a passion, rather than embracing the freedom of choice.
Hope that helps!
Nothing wrong with having a trade or going to Uni. Port Talbot IS producing steel and will develop further with the electric arc system.I would think nobody wants to go back to coal and its problems of health etc. Farage is an expert at ‘stirring’ it and not giving REAL solutions. Social housing DAMP ROOF ONES with solar power heating needs the trades. apprentices for it to work. Like wise Uni to produce world class artists business leaders. Concentrate on building a progressive successful future not one where Farage exploits divisions.For, as said, Trumpism only brings trouble.. Wind,Solar wave and hydro electricity can be jobs where training your children can develop a new future.Think positive and go for the future.
@Nigel Hunter
Agreed. Farage is trying to import Trumpism to the UK, via Wales. It’s up to us in Wales to keep the fascists at the door!
@Greg Hyde
“Like so many post industrial UK towns, Wales is seeing demographic changes in their communities that they never asked or were consulted on. ”
Well, perhaps that is true but I doubt the Lib Dems are going to campaign on a platform of ending Freedom of Movement within the UK and that Wales should “control its borders” so that it can restrict immigrants from England arriving there! 🙂
Paul; Your reply is a reminder that progressive politics is full of people who don’t understand – or don’t care about – the issues driving public anger.
@Greg Hyde
I was pointing out that the main non-Welsh demographic change in Wales are immigrants from England, yet I doubt that any party in Wales is likely to demand Wales “control its borders” – or indeed that the “anger” from potential Reform voters in Wales is directed at such immigrants.
Indeed I’d say that such voters probably want to see (near) zero support for the Welsh language and an abolition of the Welsh government – in other words, today’s Wales is far too Welsh for their liking.
What Farage really means is that the working class should know it’s place – fixing his electrics and plumbing – and leave careers in law, finance, academia, politics, arts and media to public schoolboys like himself.
Nothing wrong with being a plumber or electrician, Andrew. Sadly, many graduates will have saddled themselves with debt for a degree they didn’t need in a career that didn’t require it. We need more people to go into vocational courses—if those outside of the ‘working class’ don’t mind getting their fingernails dirty.
Never said there was Greg. I just don’t think they should be the only choices available to kids from my kind of background.
Realistically we do have a problem that people are going to University to study certain subjects in far greater numbers than demand exists for jobs that require those skills. I’m not sure to what extent it’s because people perceive those subjects as fun vs people want the University experience, but it’s not helpful to those people in the long term if they end up with a skill that there’s no demand for. On the other hand it’s not helpful to anyone if it’s next to impossible to get an electrician or a tradesman when you need one because so many young people have chosen more academic disciplines
instead. Rather than attacking Nigel Farage for (correctly) pointing out the problem, maybe we could look for solutions that accord with our values? I wonder for example if offering more trades-focused courses at University would help – so people could get the University experience while also becoming expert in those badly needed skills?
(Note my deliberate use of ‘tradesman’ above – that might give a clue about one way to alleviate the issue 😉 )
@Simon R, you are right to say that Farage is right in using the problem in our Education system. which applies to England too. The false divide between academic and vocational/technical requires addressing urgently and across the UK our party has shown little interest in highlighting it. However, there is more to Wales’ problems, especially in the former coalmining valleys where I was brought up. There has been a lack of investment in these places for decades and unless government deals with this and the associated lack of good jobs and good housing, then Reform UK will do well, especially since both the Greens and the Lib-Dems have few activists there.
” But I suppose I should have learned a trade.” …… “What Farage really means is that the working class should know it’s place – fixing his electrics and plumbing”
The problem highlighted in this discussion goes to the heart of the British class system.
Everything is a trade in the sense that someone is swapping their labour for a monetary reward. That’s the trade. We don’t normally think of someone who might dress up in a wig and gown to represent clients as a pursuing a trade but John Mortimer had it exactly right in his novels when he had Rumpole explain that this was exactly what he was doing.
It’s fair enough if, as Jack Meredith puts it, anyone wants to “pursue a passion” but anyone with any experience of university students will know that this is often not the case. Many have drifted into the University system, probably as a result of some parental pressure, without having given it enough thought beforehand.
The result is they end up with a degree which isn’t that useful in the jobs market and they have a huge loan to repay too.
Though Wales’ industry mostly in the south is important to its economic prosperity, it’s much larger mid section contains an array of beautiful countryside and access to leisure activities. It could make much more use of these to promote itself as a global tourist destination. This could also help to balance out its prosperity so the whole of Wales benefits.