Labour must counter ‘growing sense of despair’, Streeting warns after Welsh defeat

The Guardian - World NewsCenter-LeftEN 4 min read 100% complete by Aletha Adu and Geraldine McKelvieOctober 26, 2025 at 07:54 PM

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Senior Labour figures have warned that the party must address a "growing sense of despair" among voters following its defeat in a Welsh Senedd byelection in Caerphilly. Health Secretary Wes Streeting and new deputy leader Lucy Powell emphasized the need for optimism and tangible proof of change to counter midterm fatigue. Powell, who won the deputy leadership contest with 54% of votes, aims to give party members a stronger voice within government. The Labour loss in Caerphilly, a seat held since 1999, saw the party finish third with only 11% of the vote. Party insiders suggest that Powell's role should complement the leader while representing member voices effectively as the party faces upcoming local elections in May.

Key Topics & Entities

Reform 40% Alan Johnson 50% Angela Rayner 50% Bridget Phillipson ×250% Plaid Cymru 50% Welsh Senedd ×260% Caerphilly ×370% Wes Streeting ×280% Lucy Powell ×380% Labour Party ×5100%

Keywords

labour party 90% welsh senedd byelection 80% lucy powell 80% caerphilly defeat 80% deputy leader contest 70% midterm fatigue 70% growing sense of despair 70% voters tangible proof of change 60% electoral disaster 60% local elections 50%

Sentiment Analysis

Negative

Score: -0.30

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Source

The Guardian - World News

Political Lean

Center-Left (-0.40)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

Caerphilly

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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labour party welsh senedd byelection lucy powell caerphilly defeat deputy leader contest midterm fatigue growing sense of despair voters tangible proof of change electoral disaster local elections

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