British Labour Party suffers landmark election defeat in Wales, coming in third behind Reform UK

LONDON – Britain’s ruling Labour Party suffered a heavy electoral defeat on Oct 24 in Wales, a traditional stronghold, in a result that highlights the threat posed by Reform UK, as the government struggles to revive the economy and ease fears about immigration.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour lost a by-election for the Caerphilly seat in the Welsh Parliament to centre-left nationalist party Plaid Cymru, falling into a distant third place behind Mr Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party.

“I’m not shying away from how disappointing the result is,” Labour minister Nick Thomas-Symonds told Sky News. “We treat the result with humility; we are listening.”

Plaid Cymru won 47 per cent of the vote, with Reform taking 36 per cent and Labour 11 per cent.

The seat was being contested following the death of the incumbent Labour lawmaker, and comes ahead of full elections for the Welsh Parliament in May, which will show the extent of Labour’s decline in Wales.

Polling expert John Curtice told the BBC: “Labour are in severe trouble in Wales, and it just confirms the broader UK story.”

Polls focused on elections for the British Parliament show Labour has slipped far behind the Reform party since winning a landslide majority in July 2024.

“Reform will be disappointed in coming second with 36 per cent but I don’t think we should run away with the idea that this, in any way, suggests that Nigel Farage’s bubble is burst,” Mr Curtice added.

Elections for the British Parliament are not due until 2029. REUTERS