Labour collapse in Caerphilly: the byelection that points to the future of UK politics

Politics Weekly UK

The Guardian

Politics, News

4.0 • 1.4K Ratings

🗓️ 22 October 2025

⏱️ 32 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Labour’s electoral dominance in Caerphilly, deep in the party’s Welsh heartlands, has collapsed while Reform UK and Plaid Cymru have hoovered up votes. On a visit to the south Rhymney Valley ahead of a historic byelection, John Harris finds a polarised community, reminiscent of the final days of the European referendum contest. Kiran Stacey joins him to discuss the significance of the Caerphilly byelection, how it is being fought on the ground and online, and what it tells us about the future of UK politics. Plus, we look at problems facing the grooming gangs inquiry as a fourth survivor quits and the prime minister brings in the trusted trouble-shooter Louise Casey to try to shore up the process. And finally, Labour’s deputy leadership contest comes to a close … at last • Send your thoughts and questions to politicsweeklyuk@theguardian.com. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/politicspod

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	This is The Guardian.
0:11.4	Another week, another headache for the Labour Party.
0:14.3	A by-election in Wales, where, as I've seen close up, its vote might be collapsing.
0:19.3	People are feeling frustrated and when people look and they've got a Labour Council, a Labour
0:24.9	Senate and a Labour UK government, people will point at that and think, well, if that isn't
0:30.8	fixing things, then maybe someone else will.
0:34.5	Is that where politics all over the UK is now going?
0:40.9	Meanwhile, four survivors have quit the government's grooming gang's inquiry, forcing Kirstalma to deny that the process is already falling into chaos.
0:47.1	I want survivors to be at the heart of this. I want an inquiry that can get to the truth. These are
0:52.5	the hard yards, I accept that,
0:56.5	but I want to press on and get this ride.
0:59.6	A lot to talk about as ever.
1:03.0	I'm John Harris, and you're listening to Politics Week, the UK, for The Guardian.
1:10.0	Later on, we'll be looking at the problems facing the grooming gang's inquiry as a fourth
1:10.8	survivor quits, and the Prime Minister brings in his most trusted troubleshooter, Louise
1:15.1	Casey, to try and shore everything up. But first, I've just come back from Kaffili in South Wales,
1:21.6	where there is a crucial, possibly historic by-election taking place on Thursday for the Welsh
1:27.2	Senate, the Welsh Parliament.
1:28.9	It happens to be where my dad was born and my grandfather was a coal miner a very, very long time
1:33.9	ago. And up to now, to use old-fashioned language, you'd think of it as a solid Labour heartland.
1:40.9	The party hasn't lost a centre of election since Welsh devolution started in
1:44.5	1999. It's held on to the Westminster seat in Kifili for the last 100 years. At the last
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from The Guardian, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of The Guardian and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.