It has been a dramatic week in the Senedd. On Tuesday September 15 we learned that the Leader of the Opposition – Reform’s Dan Thomas – was arrested by Gwent police on suspicion of assault and engaging in controlling/coercive behaviour. He then stood down as leader of Reform in Wales.

On the very same day, Member of the Senedd, Sarah Cooper-Lesadd left Reform to join Plaid Cymru, explaining that “[Reform] are not serious about governing Wales. They are far more interested in division, opposition and headlines than in finding solutions. There is a real appetite in the group to want the government to fail, and no interest in what that failure would mean for the people we represent.”

Although there may be some raised eyebrows about Sarah’s move, and Plaid Cymru’s decision to welcome a former Reform member, I think it symbolises a shift in public opinion.

Most people across Wales felt that we needed a radical change from Labour in the last election, and many people reading this article will have voted for Plaid but also many for Reform in order to achieve that radical change.

What Sarah has seen, and that many other people are now seeing, is that Farage’s party and its leadership is unwilling to sincerely work for our communities. They are obsessed with division, and for all they say, their actions show how much they care about defending women and girls. Just look at the scenes from their party conference. Shameful.

Sarah is a talented, committed individual, standing up for young people in care, and I want to support her in this endeavour in any way possible.

I was pleased to attend another successful Usk Show, which is a highlight of the calendar and attracts visitors from far and wide. This year I spent a lot of time watching competitions, meeting local producers, talking to local farmers and meeting many people who came to the Plaid Cymru stall. At the time of writing, I'm also looking forward to attending Abergavenny Food Festival – also going from strength to strength - and taking part in a discussion on sustainable food networks.

There was major progress for local businesses too this week, with rates being reduced by 30% for hospitality and leisure businesses. In our manifesto, we promised to reform business rates to support our town centres – I am proud to say the Plaid Cymru government is delivering on that promise.