Plaid Cymru Triumphs in Caerphilly Byelection Amid Controversial Reform UK Campaign
Plaid Cymru candidate Lindsay Whittle secured victory in the Caerphilly Senedd byelection, declared on 24 October 2025. This followed a contentious campaign by Reform UK, led by Llŷr Powell, which aimed for a win but was broadly viewed as misjudging the constituency. Reform UK’s national-style messaging was perceived as divisive, prompting community backlash.
Ukrainian refugee Yuliia Bond challenged Reform UK's disinformation, highlighting that the campaign sought to divide communities despite refugees’ positive contributions to the area. Reform’s claim that the nation of sanctuary funded a mass immigration agenda was undermined by data revealing that over 80% of sanctuary funds were actually spent on supporting Ukrainian refugees.
Plaid Cymru’s grassroots effort, including activists like Judith Pritchard in the St Cattwg ward, focused on promoting unity and positive policies, presenting an alternative based on conviction rather than financial influence. A turning point in the campaign came during a BBC debate when a local audience member confronted Reform’s candidate about a mixed-race family, illustrating strong community pushback.
Observers, including Caerphilly Observer editor Richard Gurner, described the campaign as divisive, noting incidents such as posters being torn down and communities turning against one another. Analysts suggest that Caerphilly’s unique political dynamics differ significantly from English politics, and view the byelection result as potentially signaling a fundamental realignment of Welsh politics ahead of the May Senedd elections under a new proportional representation system.
