By-election candidates face off in TV debate

Nicholas Thomas, local democracy reporter

Six of the candidates vying to become Caerphilly’s next Senedd Member took to the stage to set out why they believe they are the right person for the job on Wednesday evening.

At a packed Bedwas Workmen’s Hall – and in front of a live television audience as part of a BBC Wales debate – the hopefuls fielded questions on voters’ pressing issues, from public services to immigration.

Amid feisty and sometimes unruly exchanges, the six candidates traded barbs on Welsh Labour’s record, the health of the NHS, and proposals to expand the Senedd.

Two of the eight total candidates did not take part in the debate.

There was plenty of discussion, too, of several Caerphilly Council proposals for libraries – although this policy falls outside the Senedd’s direct control.

The debate came ahead of a by-election on Thursday October 23, which was triggered following the death of Caerphilly MS Hefin David, who represented the constituency for nearly a decade.

Public Services

Following a question on protecting under-fire public services, Plaid Cymru candidate Lindsay Whittle said he would demand more money from central government to prevent “cut after cut”.

The Labour-controlled council in Caerphilly is pushing to close ten libraries in the borough, including the Bedwas site next to the debate venue.

Cllr Whittle called libraries “vital for our children’s education” and claimed the “erosion” of public services impacted on the “spirit and feel of our communities”.

Green Party candidate Gareth Hughes said more tax was the answer.

“Start taxing the rich”, he said, adding he believed “people would pay more if they thought they were getting proper services”.

Richard Tunnicliffe, the book publisher Welsh Labour has nominated to succeed Dr David, amid some local disagreement, called libraries the “heart and soul of our communities” – but Llŷr Powell, who is standing for Reform UK, pointed out it was “a Labour council cutting services”.

Pressed by debate chair Nick Servini on whether his stance on libraries was “hypocritical”, Mr Tunnicliffe rejected the suggestion and said UK Government Pride of Place funding could possibly keep the at-risk sites open.

Steve Aicheler, the Liberal Democrat candidate, claimed “hypocrisy breaks trust in politicians” and said a Senedd member “can’t make decisions for a council”.

Welsh Conservative Gareth Potter said his party stood alone in declaring opposition to Senedd expansion plans, and would instead spend that money on frontline services.

The NHS

A pharmacist in the audience challenged the candidates to set out how they would improve access to GPs and NHS waiting lists.

Mr Tunnicliffe, whose party has controlled the NHS in Wales since 1999, said the Welsh Government had spent an extra £600 million on health this year, and claimed this is “the first year we’ve been able to invest properly”, because Labour had won power in Westminster.

Mr Powell said there was “not a quick fix” – and when asked to clarify his position on the National Health Service, said he “will not vote in any way to privatise the NHS”.

But Mr Hughes claimed Reform’s proposals around the permanent settlement rights of migrants could impact health and social care.

Tory candidate Mr Potter complained about spending in Wales on “foreign embassies and empty government buildings”.

Cllr Whittle said health and social care should be better linked to improve patient flow problems in hospitals, while Mr Aicheler said more investment was needed in social care, preferably through extra Westminster funding.

Immigration

Mr Servini pre-empted responses to a question on immigration by noting census figures, showing Caerphilly County Borough’s immigration rate was 2.9%.

Reform’s Mr Powell offered a blunt “yes” when asked if immigration was a problem, and then challenged the 2.9% figure as being from 2021 – but was himself unable to provide more recent data.

Mr Aicheler said he didn’t believe immigration was a problem, but “the perception of immigration is certainly a problem”.

Immigration is being “weaponised”, said Mr Tunnicliffe, who alleged Reform “do not want to fix it – they just want to sow division”.

Mr Hughes, the Green candidate, warned against policies which “demonise” people.

Plaid’s Cllr Whittle said he was “proud” to support Wales’ Nation of Sanctuary policy, but Mr Potter said “we need to revisit it”.

”Unwelcome’

On what should have been a strong topic for the Reform candidate, Mr Powell was instead put on the spot when an audience member, who said her family belongs to the 2.9% in the borough, told him she had “never felt so unwelcome in my own home town as I do since your party came into Caerphilly with all the rhetoric you bring in”.

Mr Powell said he talked about immigration “as a policy” – but the audience member said “we are human beings”.

Trust in politics

The candidates were asked what they would do to restore trust in politics in Wales.

Labour’s Mr Tunnicliffe said he was willing to “work with anybody if it helps effect change”, and would “not overpromise”.

But Mr Hughes alleged Welsh Labour “had 25 years to build trust and it hasn’t happened”.

“If you ask people if they feel better off now than they did before, the answer is no,” the Green candidate said.

Cllr Whittle said voters had backed him in local government for nearly 50 years, “and I like to think it’s because they trust me”.

Mr Powell said rebuilding trust was “not an easy task for anyone” and reiterated he wouldn’t support a budget he considered unfavourable.

Mr Potter claimed the Welsh Government had pursued policies “no one voted for”, such as Senedd expansion and 20mph speed limit changes – but the Lib Dem candidate, Mr Aicheler, said 20mph had meant fewer road injuries.

At the end of the debate, one audience member told the candidates that “what Caerphilly needs and what Wales needs is not six angry men on this stage… but adult politicians”.

“I’d like to understand what you six gentlemen are going to do for your parties to work together to bring good and positive to Wales, rather than anger and hatred,” he added.

Who is standing in the Caerphilly by-election on October 23?

Steve Aicheler – Welsh Liberal Democrats

Anthony Stuart Cook – Gwlad

Gareth Hughes – Wales Green Party

Gareth John Potter – Welsh Conservative Party

Llŷr Tomos Powell – Reform UK

Roger Anthony Quilliam – UKIP

Richard Tunnicliffe – Welsh Labour

Lindsay Geoffrey Whittle – Plaid Cymru