Llŷr Powell

Llŷr Tomos Powell (born April 1995) is a Welsh politician for who has served as a Member of the Senedd (MS) for Blaenau Gwent Caerffili Rhymni since 2026. A member of Reform UK Wales, he has previously been a member of UKIP Wales and the Welsh Conservatives, running for election with both parties at various points, as well as working as political staff for several parties, as well as in public affairs and communications. He unsuccessfully contested the 2025 Caerphilly by-election for Reform UK, coming second to Plaid Cymru's Lindsay Whittle.

Personal life and education Powell has dyslexia. He left school at age 16, working in a leisure centre until he began his political career. He said this then brought him to look into politics, and that he found videos of Nigel Farage on YouTube, talking about among other things, the taxation he had experienced. He travelled to see him speak in Swansea during the 2014 European Parliament election, and became involved in UKIP politics shortly thereafter. Bennett went on to particularly blame Eastern European immigrants for the rubbish issue. Powell stated that he "did not want [Bennett] there at all with the views he [had] expressed". Powell's replacement as candidate for South Wales West, Caroline Jones, was successfully elected.

Powell then worked for former Reform UK leader Nathan Gill as an advisor in the European Parliament, while Gill was a member of UKIP, and its leader in Wales (though not in the Welsh Assembly), from 2016 to 2017. While an advisor to Gill, Assembly UKIP leader Neil Hamilton demanded his resignation, after he tweeted in opposition to changes that would have allowed AMs based in England to claim accommodation expenses in Cardiff. Hamilton was the only AM based in England at the time, and was ineligible for reimbursement claims. Gill described the demand as 'bullying behaviour' and described Powell as a 'talented young man who I know well'. UKIP Senedd Leader Neil Hamilton immediately refused Jones entry to the UKIP group, as she had hired staff he believed to be disloyal to the party when she rehired several members of Gills staff, including Powell. He would later say he had left UKIP in 2016.

In 2017, Powell co-founded a pro-Brexit think tank with Vote Leave's regional director for Wales Matthew MacKinnon, called the Centre for Welsh Studies. Powell left the organisation in July 2019. He left the Brexit Party in 2021, moving to work for various charities in a consulting capacity, including Scouts Cymru. He supported Kemi Badenoch for leader of the conservatives at both the July–September 2022 and October 2022 Conservative party leadership elections. In the July-September election he declared a preference for Liz Truss over other candidates, after Badenoch was eliminated.

In June 2023, he was confirmed to be under investigation by Scouts Cymru after reporting by Nation Cymru on anti-trans comments made on his social media. He left Scouts Cymru shortly after.

Reform UK Powell changed parties again to Reform UK in 2024, after becoming frustrated with the Rishi Sunak government. It is alleged that Reform UK officials, including Nigel Farage, call him 'Welsh Dave', as they struggle to pronounce Llŷr. On 12 September 2025, Powell was announced as Reform's candidate for the 2025 Caerphilly by-election, following the death of former MS Hefin David. Powell responded by describing Gill's conduct as a 'complete and utter betrayal'. The charges relate to crimes after Powell left Gill's office, and Powell denied any knowledge of the scheme. The issue regardless became a significant one throughout the by-election campaign. Powell refused his right to make a speech at the count after the results were announced.

In March 2026, Powell was announced to be lead candidate for Reform on the Blaenau Gwent Caerffili Rhymni constituency for the 2026 Senedd election. On 8 May, he was elected to the Senedd.

On 19 May 2026 he was announced as Reform's chief whip and business manager.