Reform UK fiddle statistics to suit their agenda'

Reform UK accused the Welsh Government of manipulating spending claims in relation to a tree-planting project in Uganda. The party said the government spent £4 million of taxpayers’ money planting gender-equal trees in Uganda, while funding for the Mbale tree programme over the last 15 years is around £270,000 per year, described as about 0.001% of Wales’ annual budget. Reform UK argued that planting trees helps mitigate climate change and that trees planted near the equator, such as in Mbale, grow four times faster and capture carbon more efficiently. It cited an approximate lifetime cost of 15 pence per tree and said the programme supports agricultural practices and jobs for women. The group also referenced jobs and food and claimed the initiative includes protection against landslides in Mount Elgon.