Lindsay Whittle - the local boy who stood unsuccessfully in Caerphilly 13 times, then won on the 14th

Lindsay Whittle stood for predetermination successful Caerphilly 13 times since 1983 - and connected the 14th attempt, helium yet succeeded.

In the process, the 72-year-old section lad - nicknamed "Mr Caerphilly" - humiliated the Labour Party, which had held the Senedd spot since its instauration successful 1999 and the Westminster constituency for implicit a century.

Born successful the miner's hospital, Mr Whittle lived successful a assembly location and grew up successful the town, located to the northbound of Cardiff, that helium present represents.

A lifelong Plaid Cymru activist, his involvement successful authorities was archetypal piqued successful the 1960s. He said helium adjacent missed an O Level (GCSE) exam successful the 1970s due to the fact that helium was retired canvassing for the party.

Mr Whittle was archetypal elected successful 1976 to correspond the Penyrheol and Trecenydd ward connected Rhymney Valley territory council, and helium was re-elected repeatedly until the assembly was abolished successful 1996.

He past contested the Penyrheol ward connected the caller Caerphilly County Borough Council, created successful 1995, and was elected to correspond it 7 times. He served arsenic the council's person for 2 periods betwixt 1999 and 2004, and has besides served arsenic Plaid Cymru's radical person connected the assembly since 2022.

But, contempt his occurrence astatine the section level, Mr Whittle was lone capable to unafraid predetermination to the past Welsh Assembly erstwhile successful six attempts since its instauration successful 1999, becoming an MS connected the South Wales East database 2011, earlier losing his spot successful 2016.

In those 5 years successful Cardiff, helium was appointed Plaid Cymru's spokesperson for Social Services, Children, and Equal Opportunities, and helium was capable to enactment connected his cardinal governmental interests of lodging and section government, arsenic good arsenic combating homelessness.

Read much from Sky News:
Reform beaten by Plaid Cymru successful Caerphilly by-election
Analysis: Farage obscurity to beryllium seen arsenic Reform loses by-election

Election by the radical of his hometown of Caerphilly has ever eluded him, however, having mislaid the 13 different elections for Westminster and the Senedd that helium has stood successful passim a beingness successful Welsh politics.

But that each changed past nighttime erstwhile helium was elected with a bulk of astir 4,000 votes to instrumentality implicit from the precocious Hefin David, the beloved Labour typical to whom helium paid tribute to successful his triumph speech.

Speaking to our chief governmental analogous Jon Craig arsenic dawn broke implicit the municipality helium was calved successful and present represents, Mr Whittle said: "I would request to beryllium a writer to enactment into words however I genuinely consciousness astir the honour that each the radical of Caerphilly person bestowed upon me.

"Almost fractional of the radical who went retired to vote, conscionable 2% abbreviated of fractional of the people, enactment their assurance successful Lindsay Whittle and Plaid Cymru. I cannot archer you what an honour that is."

He added: "Retirement is not for me. I'm not the benignant of feline who relaxes connected beaches. In fact, I don't deliberation I ever relax. It's people. It's radical that marque maine transportation on."