Nigel Farage has been dealt a major blow after Reform UK failed to win a crunch by-election.

Welsh nationalists Plaid Cymru claimed a historic win in Caerphilly as Labour – who have dominated politics in the town for more than a century – were left humiliated.

Reform had high hopes of winning the by-election for the Welsh Parliament seat, with Farage saying his party would “throw everything” at winning it.

But the party’s candidate, Llyr Powell, came second behind Plaid Cymru’s Lindsay Whittle, with Labour’s Richard Tunnicliffe coming a distant third.

Whittle received 15,961 votes, more than 47% of the total, with Powell on 12,113. Tunnicliffe received only 3,713, down from 13,289 the last time the seat was contested in in 2021.

Whittle said the result showed Labour was “a dying

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