Caerphilly Election Result - bucking the trend

Well they kept Reform out, is what I heard in the coffee shop at the gym this morning.

Not the result that we’d hoped for. Out of the frying pan and into another one that’s very very similar!

A bad but not unexpected result for Labour.

I stayed up to watch the live coverage. It became increasingly clear that Plaid was going to win - with some very good insights from Richard Gurner of the Caerphilly Observer.

It’s been a particulary bad few weeks for Reform. The ongoing shambles at Kent CC, the resignation of Neville Watson, Farage’s childish micro-aggressions e.g. his treatment of journalist Mishal Husain and his childish strop on Wednesday, sitting in the public gallery with Arron Banks rather than take his seat in the HoC because he alleges the Speaker isn’t giving him enough air-time.

And of course, the ticking timebomb of Russian asset Nathan Gill. Byline Times and The Nerve are doing sterling work on this. Llŷr Powell frantically tried to expunge his socials of any connection to Gill - but too late. The people of Caerphilly saw sense and kept him out. Well done Lindsay Whittle. Plaid Cymru’s hope beat Reform’s hate.

George Eaton writing for New Statesman:

Even as Reform has led every UK opinion poll since May, Farage’s opponents have identified his Achilles heel. As the New Statesman have often noted, for a populist Farage is not particularly popular. Polls regularly show that around 60 per cent of voters do not want him to become prime minister.

www.newstatesman.com/politics/morning-call/2025/10/caerphilly-shows-nigel-farages-achilles-heel