Plaid Cymru win Caerphilly by-election in humiliation for Labour

Plaid Cymru have won the by-election in the Senedd seat of Caerphilly for the first time.

The Welsh nationalist party secured 15,960 votes – and candidate Lindsay Whittle cried as the result was announced.

Mr Whittle is 72 years old and had stood as a Plaid candidate 13 times since 1983. He will now hold the seat until the Welsh Assembly hold national elections last year.

This by-election was widely regarded as a two-horse race between Plaid Cymru and Reform UK, and the result marks a considerable blow for Nigel Farage.

His party received 12,113 votes – denying a victory that would have strengthened claims that Reform can convert a large lead into opinion polls into election wins.

But more than anything, it is a humiliating defeat for Labour, who had held Caerphilly at every election since it was created in 1999 – as well as the parliamentary seat for over a century.

Its candidate received 3,713 votes – and finished in third place.

Turnout overall stood at 50.43% – considerably higher than during the last ballot back in 2021.

Giving his acceptance speech after the result was confirmed, Mr Whittle began by paying tribute to Hefin David – who was Welsh Labour’s Member of the Senedd for Caerphilly until his death in August.

“He will be a hard act to follow,” Mr Whittle said. “I will never fill his shoes – but I promise you, I will walk the same path that he did.”

The Plaid politician described how he had been “absolutely heartened” by how many young people were involved in the by-election – and said the result sends a clear message.

He said: “Listen now Cardiff, and listen Westminster – this is Caerphilly and Wales telling you we want a better deal for every corner of Wales. The big parties need to sit up and take notice.

“Wales, we are at the dawn of new leadership, we are at the dawn of a new beginning – and I look forward to playing my part for a new Wales, and in particular, for the people of the Caerphilly constituency, I thank you with all my heart.”

Mr Whittle quipped that “it was better than scoring the winning try for Wales in the Rugby World Cup”.

The Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats were among the parties who lost their deposits.