They misjudged Caerphilly': how the Reform juggernaut backfired in Welsh byelection

"Reform UK tried to create panic and hate with tactics used not only in the UK, but by far-right political parties all over Europe and across the world. The messages they used in Caerphilly didn't feel local. They felt imported like someone copied a script from another country and dropped it through our doors. Nigel Farage's party was confident it could win the byelection, especially as Labour, the dominant party in Wales for a century, appears to be in freefall."

"Their biggest mistake was assuming that people here have no critical thinking, Bond said. They thought nobody would check the facts. They assumed that refugees are not just vulnerable, but somehow stupid. That is not true. We may have escaped a war, but we are not stupid. We understand policies. One of Reform's key claims was that the Welsh government's nation of sanctuary scheme showed both it and Plaid supported a mass immigration agenda and asylum seekers were receiving preferential treatment."

"Yuliia Bond works two jobs, raises two children and is studying at university. In the autumn, she also found time to take on Reform UK when it tried to win the Caerphilly byelection. Bond, a Ukrainian refugee who has settled in south Wales, said she could not remain silent as Reform tried to win the seat in the Senedd (Welsh parliament ). Members of our Ukrainian community spoke up, Bond said."

Yuliia Bond balances two jobs, childcare and university study while living as a Ukrainian refugee in south Wales. She and others mobilised against Reform UK's Caerphilly byelection campaign, confronting disinformation aimed at creating panic and resentment. Campaign messages appeared imported and resembled far-right tactics seen across Europe. Organisers falsely claimed the nation of sanctuary scheme and Plaid supported mass immigration and preferential treatment, despite most sanctuary funds supporting Ukrainian refugees. Local campaigning from Plaid Cymru and community members helped prevent Reform UK from winning the seat and demonstrated critical scrutiny of misleading claims.

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