Caerphilly by-election: Humiliation for Starmer as Labour dealt historic loss | Politics | News
Sir Keir Starmer’s Labor Party lost the Caerphilly by-election. In a historic political meltdown, Plaid Cymru has captured the Caerphilly Senedd seat for the first time since its founding in 1999. Labor had held the parliamentary seat for over a century.
Lindsay Whittle’s Welsh nationalist party candidate burst into tears when she heard she had secured 15,960 votes and a historic victory. Mr Whittle, 72, has stood as a Plaid candidate 13 times since 1983 and will hold the seat until next year’s Senedd elections.
In another blow to Labour, Mr Starmer’s party remains in third place behind Plaid and Reform UK after Nigel Farage said his party would “throw everything away” in the campaign in the hope of winning its first seat at the polls.
Plaid emerged with a majority of 3,848 votes after receiving 15,961 votes and an almost 27% lead from Labor on a high turnout of over 50%. Reform candidate Llyr Powell received 12,113 votes, a sharp increase from the 495 votes the party received four years ago, and Labour’s Richard Tunnicliffe trailed by 13,289 votes compared to 2021, when turnout was lower.
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