Plaid Cymru’s Lindsay Whittle is hopeful that the Caerphilly by-election is his massive likelihood
Few folks hoping to be elected to the Senedd in 2026 will say “I do not wish to be within the authorities”, not to mention somebody whose celebration is, if polls are to be believed, on the right track to be the most important celebration after Might 2026, however Lindsay Whittle is that individual.
“I do not wish to be a minister in Rhun ap Iorwerth’s authorities,” the Plaid Cymru politician tells me. “We have got incredible individuals who will try this, however they want the…I am unsure I am the quiet previous head, however the loud previous head on the again.”
I suppose that is the distinction of a candidate within the Caerphilly by-election who’s previous retirement age, with many years of expertise in elections behind him, he isn’t doing it for his CV. This can be a man who has stood in council elections 18 instances, for Westminster 10 instances, and for each Senedd election within the final 26 years.
Whereas his time as a councillor has been constantly profitable, increased workplace has eluded him, besides one spell as a regional Meeting Member, though that might be about to vary.
As we meet within the Tylers Arms in Nelson, with our respective orange juice and Coke Zero, I ask him to start out firstly, and quickly realise why multiple individual has described him to me as “Mr Caerphilly”.
Born within the miner’s hospital he spent the primary 5 days of his life in a shared council home and has spent his complete life dwelling within the city.
Not from a political household, it was listening to Gwynfor Evans marketing campaign about Tryweryn which acquired him curious about politics, but it surely was the 1968 Caerphilly by-election which actually captured his consideration.
Seen as a secure Labour seat, Plaid had been a distant third in 1966, however when Ness Edwards died two years later, Labour scraped via the by-election with a majority of simply 1,874, with Phil Williams’ vote share leaping 29% in two years.
A determine which is inconceivable to fathom now, is that 4,000 folks had been exterior the Penyrheol neighborhood centre ready for the results of that election – one in all whom was Lindsay Whittle. By way of the marketing campaign he’d been a type of mitching off college, listening to the patriotic songs being sung, the flagons of beer being drunk, watching a 700-strong motorcade parading around the city lined in flags.
“There appeared to be an exquisite, quiet revolution,” he remembers.
A eager activist within the Seventies, he even missed an O-level as a result of he was out canvassing, he says. Having left college with the {qualifications} he quickly realised he wanted, he went on to get a job making crash helmets in an area manufacturing unit earlier than returning to check.. His first style of elected politics was becoming a member of Rhymney Valley District Council in 1976.
A yr later he turned the youngest councillor in Nice Britain when he joined Mid Glamorgan council aged 24.
“These individuals who voted for me in 1976 have lengthy gone, so now it’s the little kids, the grandson and granddaughters,” he says. However they nonetheless come out for him. On the final council election he acquired 1,975 votes, the best, he says, of any councillor in Wales.
Nonetheless a councillor, he additionally has 4 voluntary jobs, working in two native faculties, a neighborhood espresso store and a foodbank.
“I work higher once I’m not paid. I can not retire. All my associates are away on a regular basis, spending their inheritance, however I can not,” he says.
“It is simply acquired into the blood. I can not get out now. I acquired on the bike and I can not fall off but. I find it irresistible. It is what I do. I am 72 now, and retirement is just not for me,” he says.
“I am enthusiastic about folks, I’m a folks individual,” he says. “I converse the peculiar language of the peculiar individual on the street, they usually find it irresistible.”
Quick ahead greater than 50 years within the celebration, for anybody who seems on the record of names in elections, his is at all times there, however that is his second as Plaid Cymru’s massive hope within the Caerphilly by-election on October 23.
He laughs once I diplomatically counsel that this election is totally different as a result of on lots of these earlier events, he by no means had a hope. Not that he at all times believed that, telling me a narrative about being clapped out of his native pub in 1983 to go to the rely the place he was positive he could be named the subsequent MP, solely to come back final.
However this time, it is totally different.
If he wins the by-election, it might solely assure him a seven month spell within the establishment (though he’s trying prone to be elected regardless as he has second place on Plaid Cymru’s record for Might) but it surely means a terrible lot extra.
It means Plaid can go into the marketing campaign correct with proof the polls are proper and that individuals who have not chosen them earlier than are actually doing so, giving Labour a bloody nostril within the seat it has at all times held.
Plus, it can imply Labour will doubtless battle with its price range, and what higher factor to place in massive, daring letters on an election leaflet than the actual fact after 26 years, Labour cannot ship an important of function a authorities has – the price range that pays councils, the NHS and extra.
So possibly it is no shock the large weapons had been out to canvass with him on the day we meet. On this sunny afternoon in Nelson he was joined by not solely the celebration’s present chief, Rhun ap Iorwerth, however former chief Dafydd Wigley, now Lord Wigley too, in addition to regional MS Delyth Jewell and an assortment of campaigners.
To look at that group, stood at corresponding doorways, leaflets in hand, wasn’t only a nice picture, however a press release of intent from Plaid Cymru.
He is aware of campaigning has modified, lengthy gone are these motorcades, changed with Fb movies. He has frolicked counting the feedback, and checking the place people who find themselves important of him are from. “They’re from Manchester and Birmingham and locations I’ve by no means heard of. Nice, you are entitled to your opinion however they’re from Reform ‘bots’,” he says, checking with me the terminology is correct. “I am from a unique era,” he smiles.
Whereas each Reform UK and Labour declined to permit me to see them door knock, Plaid did not and on today, even when there had been a plan to take me to streets sympathetic to their trigger, that was thrown out of the window as this breakaway group went with Lord Wigley again to the location of the workplace he ran for the 1968 election.
But nonetheless, the response from the interactions I heard of voters was constructive, and feeds into the intel coming from these on the bottom that it is a combat between Reform UK and Plaid. Plaid is telling voters, they’re those with “constructive concepts” and the way “this younger man”, one Rhun ap Iorwerth, is “our future” and that message appears to be going via.
As they spoke to voters, it’s clear it’s the risk from Reform they had been focussing on, telling one undecided voter that voting for Labour, splitting the left, dangers letting Reform UK in.
“Labour are falling fairly far behind,” one voter was instructed. “The hazard with folks voting for them is it permits Farage in” – though the Clacton MP is not the candidate now, or can be eligible to be in Might.
As Lindsay Whittle requested one voter to make use of a scale of 1 to 10 to inform him who they had been planning on voting for, “10 out of 10” was the resounding reply, and also you get the sense it is not the primary time he is been instructed that. Delyth Jewell, leans over his shoulder to say “I’ve identified him for years, he is Mr Caerphilly. He’ll work so laborious”.
He has no qualms in telling voters, “most individuals have heard of me”, he says, telling one potential voter “peculiar folks….that is what we would like”.
A passing canine walker goes out of his option to inform them they had been “incredible” and I might have liked to know if the “Labour girl who was round as we speak” was the First Minister, who I used to be instructed had been there that day too.
However Mr Whittle’s expertise means he is not naive concerning the establishment he desires to re-enter or backs all of the insurance policies his celebration backs.
He speaks concerning the “foolish” guidelines the Senedd instils on housing is why homes are empty for too lengthy. He did not consider the 20mph velocity restrict needs to be default and nonetheless would not.
Libraries and leisure centres are extra native points arising, and the state of the NHS in Wales for which, he criticises the present administration for a scarcity of “joined up considering”. He says Senedd enlargement is not one thing arising – regardless of claims on the contrary on social media.
“With regards to council homes on this space, there’s over 250 empty in the meanwhile and that is fallacious. I’ve labored as a housing supervisor, finally 26 years in Cardiff. My goal was 4 days. Tenant out, tenant in 4 days. They’re empty now for actually eight, 9 months. That is fallacious. We’re paying for folks to enter motels and mattress and breakfast.
“We’re paying for the shutters for safety. We’re shedding lease. That is why the nation’s in a large number. Persons are not doing their job and it is down to crazy guidelines from the Senedd. The Senedd is accountable and the councils, who controls them? Labour.”
He says he has 60 circumstances as a part of his councillor workload proper now with folks wanting assist with housing and there’s a narrative that immigration is responsible one thing he argues simply is not related in Caerphilly.
“They see immigrants being housed in 5 star motels and getting vehicles…we all know it is not true however they only repeat the lie they usually lie, and [people] suppose ‘that is why my daughter’s sharing a room and the infant is in a field bed room is as a result of the immigrants are having all of the housing’. They don’t seem to be. The one immigrants who’ve housing in Caerphilly, by and huge are the Ukrainians.
“And that is not within the a whole lot, actually it is below triple figures.”
However that narrative is, he admits, getting traction. In all his years, there has by no means been a brand new celebration with fairly the power of Reform UK. The tough idea is that the additional out of Cardiff you go, and additional up the Valleys you go, the stronger Reform UK’s help is.
“We have had social media previously, however by no means like it’s,” he says. A story from each Reform UK and the Conservatives concerning the Nation of Sanctuary is getting via and arising on the doorsteps he says. However, when he explains that cash is principally serving to Ukrainian households combine, their tone adjustments.”
He lists the names of his neighbours rising up, Polish refugees from the conflict, the Italians who got here to Wales and arrange the well-known Bracchi cafes, northerners, cockneys and Irish folks, he says: “We have been a Nation of Sanctuary since World Conflict Two,” he says.
This worry of immigration he cannot clarify. “You’d should ask these people who find themselves fearful.”
“I feel that the worry is being heightened by single incidents. You can say of paedophile gangs ‘properly, they’re all foreigners’ They don’t seem to be. No one is in favour of paedophile gangs, I do not care what nation they’re from. I would like them locked up and the important thing thrown away and I converse as a father of a daughter and a grandfather.
“They’re horrible folks, however they are not essentially all from away,” he says.
“I perceive worry, it is a horrible factor. It will get me cross once I see folks from the left saying ‘they’re all racist’ They don’t seem to be. Some are, in fact, there’s so much about, however not all people is a racism as a result of they help Reform, what we have got to do is persuade these people who find themselves not racist the error of their methods,” he says.
As we half methods, he goes off to a gathering at Caerphilly rugby membership, joined by Rhun ap Iorwerth. See the complete record of candidate and particulars of the by-election.
