Nigel Farage has turned his attention to next May’s Senedd elections following Reform UK’s defeat in the Caerphilly by-election. Despite expectations that Reform might take the seat, Plaid Cymru’s Lindsay Whittle secured victory, pushing Reform’s Llyr Powell into second place. Mr Whittle won 47% of the vote, with Mr Powell trailing on 36%, while Labour, historically dominant in the constituency, came a distant third with just 3,713 votes.
++ Is tossing coffee down the drain bad for nature? Scientists explain
Mr Farage suggested that Labour’s significant loss of support to Plaid Cymru had contributed to Reform’s failure to win. “At the start of polling day, I thought we would get 12,000 votes, and we did. I thought that number would be enough, but it wasn’t,” he said. He added that the collapse of the Labour vote to a well-known local politician was decisive. Reform UK Wales described the result as a “historic realignment” and promised to contest next year’s election vigorously.
Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth echoed the focus on the upcoming Senedd elections, declaring that his party and Reform UK would be the two main contenders. “This result shows that Plaid is no longer just an alternative. We are now the real choice for Wales, able to stop billionaire-backed Reform and offering a better future for everyone,” he said. Both parties appear to be framing the contest as a direct head-to-head battle for Welsh voters.
++ Scotland urges UK Government to cover £24.5 million cost of Trump and Vance visits
Welsh Labour, meanwhile, acknowledged the disappointment of the result. First Minister Eluned Morgan told constituents that the party had heard their frustrations and pledged that Labour would “come back stronger” in the next elections. With all major parties analysing the outcome, the Caerphilly result is already shaping the narrative for next year’s Senedd campaign.
