Nigel Farage’s party was on the charge in Wales – but after the seismic Caerphilly byelection, progressives now believe they can come out on top in May
T
he night after Plaid Cymru decisively beat Reform UK in the Caerphilly byelection last autumn, spraypaint reading “Now u can fuck off home” appeared on the shutters of the rightwing party’s offices on Cardiff Street.
It was quickly cleaned off, but stickers bearing Welsh nationalist and anti-fascist slogans have popped up in its place, either scratched off or covered with duct tape. Reform is still there: the lights are on, and a shop owner next door said people go in and out every day, although no one answered the door when the Guardian rang the bell.
The byelection was a golden opportunity for Nigel Farage’s party. Reform poured money and resources into its chance to break off a piece of the Labour heartland and boost its credibility by winning a first seat in the Senedd. Instead, Caerphilly became Plaid Cymru territory; a story that the latest polling suggests could be repeated across the country in May’s Senedd elections.
