Disaster for Starmer after party surrenders 100-year hold on Welsh heartland with Reform in second Daily Telegraph link Labour has lost its 100-year hold on a key heartland in a historic shift in Welsh politics. In a disastrous result for Sir Keir Starmer, the party was beaten at a pivotal Senedd by-election by Welsh nationalists Plaid Cymru. It is the first time Labour has lost a parliamentary vote in the former mining town of Caerphilly in more than a century, signalling a collapse in support that will fray nerves in Downing Street. It will also be seen as a disappointing result for Reform UK, who were polling slightly ahead and would have hailed a victory as a sign they were on track to unseat Labour at the Welsh elections next year. Nigel Farage, the Reform leader, did not appear at the count, despite joining the campaign trail on the day. The party is expected to blame tactical voting for the defeat. However, it will doubtless be buoyed by a clear surge in support havin...
Former deputy prime minister suggests others could be caught out by same ‘complex’ rules she broke daily Telegraph - Link Angela Rayner has said she hopes other families will learn from the “honestly made mistake” that allowed her to avoid a £40,000 tax bill. The former deputy prime minister, who was forced to resign over the scandal, suggested others could be caught out by the same “complex” rules that she broke when purchasing her second home. Ms Rayner quit her government roles last month after The Telegraph revealed she underpaid stamp duty on her new £800,000 seaside flat in Hove, East Sussex. At first, her team was adamant that she had done nothing wrong, insisting she had paid all tax due. However, following sustained pressure from the media, she later admitted that she had made a “mistake” and had not paid the full amount of tax. Ms Rayner bought the Hove flat after selling a 25 per cent share of the family home in her Ashton-under-Lyne constituency for £162,500. The bu...