Welsh Reform UK candidate ‘doing Nazi salute’ says it was a Basil Fawlty impression

A Reform UK candidate in Wales has stepped down after suggesting a picture shared of him appearing to do a Nazi salute may have been a Basil Fawlty impression.

Corey Edwards was chosen as the party’s lead Senedd candidate for the Pen-y-Bont Bro Morgannwg constituency in the Vale of Glamorgan.

But less than a day after he was unveiled as a candidate, Mr Edwards was pictured putting a finger to his nose and raising his right hand resembling the gesture of the Third Reich, in a photo believed to have been taken in 2019.

Mr Edwards is one of 96 candidates fielded by Reform in Wales for the May elections, in which the party is projected to pick up dozens of seats.

On Friday he announced he would no longer be running for the Senedd, citing mental health issues.

A Reform spokesperson said: ‘Corey Edwards has informed us that he is stepping down as a candidate for the Senedd election this May, citing issues with his mental health.

‘We wish him well for the future and hope his privacy can be respected at this difficult time.’

As the lead candidate on the party’s list in his seat, Mr Edwards would have been highly likely to be elected.

In his first words since the picture was widely shared, Mr Edwards conceded that it ‘looks bad’ and was open to misinterpretation, the Independent reported.

But he suggested that his gesture could have been mimicking a Welsh footballer or even Basil Fawlty.

Mr Fawlty, the eccentric hotelier played by John Cleese in the 1970s sitcom Fawlty Towers, famously imitates a Nazi in front of guests in the first series’ episode The Germans.

Welsh footballer Wayne Hennessey faced a charge from the FA for appearing to make the offensive gesture in 2019. The charge was found not proven after the regulator accepted that he was not intentionally performing a Nazi salute.

In a statement, Mr Edwards 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.

‘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.’

Opposition parties said Mr Edwards’ gesture was ‘utterly disgraceful’.

According to his LinkedIn profile, Mr Edwards previously worked for Conservative Welsh secretary David TC Davies between November 2022 and October 2023.

He also had roles as a special adviser in the Cabinet Office and working for then attorney general Michael Ellis. He is currently head of political relations for FirstGroup.

Reform UK said in a statement that the party was unwilling to exclude candidates for ‘mistakes they made when they were young people’.

A spokesperson for Plaid Cymru said: ‘This is utterly disgraceful from the Reform candidate and shows exactly what Reform are about.

‘This photo confirms a clear pattern in the calibre of candidates they’re selecting to represent communities. Reform has serious questions to answer regarding their vetting process across the UK.’

Reform has faced several questions over its vetting of candidates, with several facing investigations over alleged racism or antisemitism.

This week the party suspended its mayoral candidate in Hampshire Chris Parry after he compared the Jewish neighbourhood watch Shomrim to ‘Islamists on horseback’.

Mr Parry later insisted that online users had deliberately misread his post.

He wrote: ‘The issue was caused by a malign reading of my attempt to respond to a tweet criticising Jewish people.

‘I am not prepared to accept any criticism from anti-Zionists and people who wish the Jewish people and Israel ill.’

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