Russian Roulette In Caerphilly

Do we give donations to reform in Rubles now?

Ben once again hits the nail on the head.

The leader of Reform UK, Nigel Farage, was a chief architect of Brexit and there is ample evidence that it has been an unmitigated disaster. On 18 October 2025 at the 40th G30 annual international Banking Seminar in Washington DC, even the Governor of The Bank of England Andrew Bailey basically agrees stating: “Brexit will have a negative impact on the UK’s economic growth for the foreseeable future”. Likewise, Reform gaining a foothold in the Senedd will be a disaster for Wales so hopefully the Caerffili electorate help to prevent it in Thursday’s by-election.  

Raising the income tax threshold to £20K sounds as if it's for the poorest. But those with incomes below the current threshold of £12570 would get nothing. Someone on £13570 would get £200. You'd certainly notice that at that income level but someone on £19750 would get £1400. Not as progressive as the headline impression. Then if you read on and did the sums, you found the package as a whole - raising higher tax thresholds etc - was always slanted towards the better off. Still, they did intend to give the impression that they were on the side of the struggling, so their feet need to be held to the fire about the inevitable rollback.

When the by-election was confirmed following the sad and untimely passing of Hefin David there was a widespread belief that Plaid should win this seat. Such views however may have been misplaced and ignore the recent political history of Caerphilly. Not that long ago the far right BNP got over a thousand votes here. The constituency voted strongly for brexit during the eu referendum and the Reform candidate got almost 8 thousand votes there just over a year ago in the general election. So it can certainly be argued that if there’s one constituency in Wales where Reform would have chosen to fight a by-election its likely to have been Caerphilly.

Hopefully Plaid will come through but many people will shoot themselves in the foot and vote Reform. Desperate for change without really looking at what that change really means for them. Slogans and hate rhetoric are blindly believed, as the article states, we've seen it before with Brexit. Sometimes many will just have to learn the hard way (sadly, dragging the rest of us with them).

Great article! After over 12 years of tory austerity people were hoping for something better when Labour in Westminster were voted in with a big majority. Instead one of the first thing they done was to stop winter fuel payments to pensioners. Than cut disability benefits, stop buy one get one free meals for hard up families, and impose digital ID on everyone even if you have no smartphone. The right wing are feeding off this and blaming immigration for a lot of our problems, and offering a false alternative. Its up to Plaid Cymru and whatever is remaining of the left to show the public there is an alternative to austerity and give people hope! If not Then A Reform backed up by tory government will win next year., and that is likely to be the end of free prescriptions and bus passes, and if Reform win a general election in 2029 it might be the end of the NHS and welfare state.

Great article Ben, absolutely spot on.

It still makes zero sense whatsoever, that people were proven to be duped by farages lies for brexit, that destroyed our economy and created the so called "migrant crisis" are able to fall for his lies again. And even less sense that people from Wales would vote to end Wales. If farage gets a foot hold, the oldest race of Britain will be damaged beyond saving

Bookies have Reform to win.

Why do so many Caerphilly residents despise Wales? If this were purely politically motivated, there are other parties to make ones point with. Destroying your entire country, wiping out its language and culture to a party from a foreign country just screams stupidity.

When it looks like a duck and walks like a duck you can be sure that when it comes to making a sound it will quack.

Yes, you just weren't listening.

Why pick on Abertridwr? I was there yesterday and the village has far far more Plaid billboards than Reform

What is apparent elsewhere is the collection of misfits ,opportunists & schoolboys voted into the councils under the Reform wrapper its all disintegrating . Like herding cats. Those who thought themselves to be part of a driving force of change find themselves simply a conduit for the party line Many of those at branch level have done all the heavy lifting often at their own expense. Find themselves hemmed in under a glass ceiling . Farage simply parachuting his arch Conservative mates like Orr into senior roles. Jobs For The Boys. About as far removed from a people's army as you can get.

If Reform becomes the largest party in the Senedd, the nominally left-wing parties shouldn’t immediately try to lock them out of power. They should let Reform form a minority government, no matter how unviable, and then vote them down at every opportunity. If they immediately try to lock Reform out of power, many people will cry “establishment stitch-up”. You can’t tell people why this isn’t the case. You have to show them.

Spot on analysis Ben. Thank you for highlighting the islamaphobic , racism, thacherite bigots that could most likely destroy Wales and won't stop there.

What utter tosh: “I’m going to vote for Nigel Farage because I think he actually has a bit of integrity there. I might sound patronising when I say this, but I think people have become more educated in terms of politics, and I think people are starting to realise they’ve been easily led,” he said. https://www.the-independent.com/news/uk/politics/reform-uk-wales-caerphilly-by-election-nigel-farage-b2849415.html