Labour faces 'tough fight' after defeat in Caerphilly

PLAID Cymru's victory in the Welsh Parliament by-election leaves Labour with a “very tough fight” on its hands ahead of the Senedd elections in May, a minister has conceded.

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Plaid Cymru's newly elected Senedd member Lindsay Whittle at Caerphilly Castle

Labour trailed Reform UK in third after Nigel Farage’s party had pledged to “throw everything” at its campaign for the Caerphilly seat, which Labour had held since the Senedd was first established in 1999. Cabinet Office minister Nick Thomas-Symonds said Labour's loss was “disappointing” and pointed to a “fractured political landscape” in the UK. Meanwhile, polling expert Sir John Curtice said the result showed Labour was in “severe trouble” in Wales, after Plaid emerged victorious with a majority of 3,848 votes, and a swing of almost 27% from Labour, on a high turnout of more than 50%.