How did we beat Nigel Farage and Reform in Caerphilly? We stood by our convictions | Rhun ap Iorwerth

"Caerphilly was one of the safest Labour seats in Wales. Many London commentators expected the seat to fall to Reform perhaps even hoped it would. It would have fit the narrative that post-industrial communities naturally drift to the populist right. We proved them wrong. A message built on fairness, community and national purpose resonated with voters, and a comfortable majority voted for it."

"Reform UK threw everything it had at this campaign. Busloads of activists came from Kent. Their anti-refugee banners and billboards made local people feel uneasy and sought to pit neighbour against neighbour. Reform thought it could surf a wave of anger and fear, but people in Caerphilly saw through their cynicism. They rejected the idea that Wales should be used as a stepping stone for Farage's next Westminster project. Plaid Cymru's message of hope beat Reform's hate."

"The result couldn't be more damning of Labour. Eluned Morgan and Keir Starmer's brand of managerial politics does not speak to Welsh voters any more. Labour once claimed to be the natural party of Wales. Natural parties die when they stop standing for something. In Caerphilly, decades of complacency caught up with them. People here no longer believe Labour represents their communities, their values or their ambitions. They see a party that has swapped conviction for calculation and focus-grouped slogans."

Plaid Cymru won the Caerphilly by-election, overturning one of the safest Labour seats in Wales and demonstrating momentum for a bold, inclusive vision centered on fairness, community and national purpose. Reform UK campaigned aggressively with anti-refugee messaging and outside activists, but local voters rejected divisive tactics and cynicism. The result underscores declining confidence in Labour's managerial politics under Eluned Morgan and Keir Starmer, with voters perceiving a party that has traded conviction for calculation. The outcome frames a clear electoral choice in Wales between inclusive nationalism and populist or managerial alternatives, with implications for progressives beyond Wales.

Read at www.theguardian.com