Plaid Cymru Wins Caerphilly By-Election as Reform UK Surges, Labour Falls to Third

Nigel Farage and Reform UK suffered a notable defeat in the Caerphilly by-election, with Plaid Cymru's Lindsay Whittle winning decisively by a margin of 3,000 votes while Reform UK came in second with 36% of the vote. Farage attributed Plaid's victory to a significant collapse of Labour support, which fell sharply to just 11%, marking a historic defeat for Labour in a seat they had held for over a century. Despite the loss, Reform UK remained optimistic about their future prospects, with candidates and party officials emphasizing the party's rapid rise and positioning the upcoming Senedd elections as a direct contest between Reform UK and Plaid Cymru. The campaign was intense, with Reform UK accusing Labour of smear tactics and highlighting their own gains in local council areas, though analysts noted that Plaid's strong local presence and strategic voter mobilization undercut Reform's efforts. Labour's decline was linked to broader dissatisfaction with national policies and local issues such as the 20mph speed limit, while Reform UK's momentum, though impressive, faced challenges in converting leads into victories. Reform UK leaders expressed confidence that the party would continue to grow and possibly form a government in the next Senedd elections, despite this setback.