As the autumn leaves begin to fall across the United Kingdom and the United States, two communities—one nestled in the Welsh Valleys, the other in the affluent suburbs of Connecticut—find themselves at pivotal political crossroads. In Caerphilly, a Labour stronghold for more than a century, the fortress-like grip of the party is under siege, with Reform UK and Plaid Cymru vying for a historic upset. Meanwhile, in Greenwich, Connecticut, an intense contest for control of the Board of Estimate and Taxation (BET) underscores how even local elections can shape the very fabric of a community's daily life.
On October 24, 2025, the political winds in Caerphilly were swirling with unprecedented force. According to Sky News, Labour’s dominance—long considered as solid as the town’s medieval castle—was crumbling at a pace few could have predicted. This wasn’t just another by-election; it was a battle that could redefine not only the political landscape of the Welsh Valleys but also signal seismic shifts across the UK.
The numbers told a stark story. An opinion poll conducted just a week before the by-election showed Reform UK leading with 42%, Plaid Cymru close behind at 38%, Labour languishing at a dismal 12%, the Conservatives barely visible at 4%, Greens at 3%, and the Lib Dems struggling to register at 1%. For a constituency that has sent Labour MPs to Westminster for over a century—and to Cardiff since the Welsh Assembly’s inception in 1999—these figures were nothing short of shocking.
Reform UK’s charge was spearheaded by 30-year-old Llyr Powell, an energetic candidate backed by the party’s high-profile leader, Nigel Farage. Farage, never one to shy away from a fight, made his presence felt with three campaign visits to Caerphilly, arriving on polling day in a fast car—quite the contrast to Oliver Cromwell’s horse-riding forces that once besieged the local castle in 1645. The symbolism wasn’t lost on anyone: a centuries-old fortress, now facing a new kind of conquest.
But the contest was far from a two-horse race. Plaid Cymru, the Welsh nationalist party, was also in hot pursuit. Their veteran candidate, 72-year-old Lindsay Whittle, arrived at Caerphilly Leisure Centre—where the by-election count was held—brimming with optimism. When asked about his chances, Whittle punched the air and declared, “I certainly hope so!” according to Sky News. Plaid Cymru, which has consistently finished second to Labour in both general and Senedd elections since devolution, saw this as their moment to finally break through.
The implications of a Reform UK victory would be profound. As Sky News reported, it would place the party on a trajectory toward further triumphs in local, Scottish Parliament, and Welsh Senedd elections slated for 2026. For Labour MPs, already beset with gloom and trepidation, such a result could trigger panic and reinforce the notion that Farage is on a march toward Downing Street. Many of Labour’s 2024 intake might then fear for their seats in the next general election.
Yet, if Plaid Cymru were to capture Caerphilly, the shockwaves would reverberate throughout Wales. It would be interpreted as a clear sign that Labour’s 26-year reign over the Welsh government could be nearing an undignified end. The only certainty, as the night wore on, was Labour’s humiliation and near-total wipeout for the Conservatives and Lib Dems. The real suspense was over which party—Reform UK or Plaid Cymru—would emerge as the new standard-bearer in Caerphilly.
Across the Atlantic, the political theatre played out on a different stage but with stakes just as high. In her October 24, 2025, opinion piece, Alma Rutgers highlighted the crucial nature of the upcoming Board of Estimate and Taxation (BET) election in Greenwich, Connecticut. The BET, often overlooked in favor of higher-profile races, holds the town’s purse strings and wields enormous influence over everything from school funding to infrastructure projects.
This year’s contest was particularly charged. Six Democratic candidates—Laura Erickson, David Weisbrod, Eliot Alchek, Stephen Selbst, Matt DesChamps, and Doug Fenton—brought impressive financial and management credentials to the table. Their campaign signs dotted the landscape, urging voters to choose the entire Democratic slate. But as Rutgers explained, the real choice wasn’t just about individuals; it was about which party would control the BET’s all-important chairmanship and the decisive seventh tie-breaking vote.
Greenwich’s town charter requires each major party to nominate six candidates, with all twelve being elected. The party that garners the most aggregate votes secures the chairmanship and the pivotal seventh vote. Historically, this advantage has gone to Republicans, thanks to their numerical dominance in the town. But, as of October 22, 2025, the gap had narrowed dramatically: 11,488 registered Democrats, 11,556 Republicans, and a significant bloc of 15,444 unaffiliated voters, as reported by the Registrars of Voters office. In the 2023 BET election, Republicans edged out Democrats by a mere 51% to 49% margin.
Republican BET candidates have campaigned on a platform of low property taxes and fiscal restraint, taking credit for Greenwich’s coveted triple-A credit rating. They argue that Democratic control would spell trouble for taxpayers. However, Rutgers pushed back, citing the historical example of Roger Sherman Baldwin—a Democratic BET member from 1920 to 1949—who was lauded as a “nationally known expert on municipal finance” by The New York Times and credited with establishing the town’s pay-as-you-go system. Under his stewardship, Greenwich’s bonded indebtedness plummeted from $6.5 million in 1932 to just $400,000 by the time of his death.
Democrats contend that, far from being spendthrifts, they are better positioned to address the town’s long-term needs, especially in strategic and capital planning. Critics of the current Republican-led BET point to repeated party-line votes, cuts to school budgets, and a lack of investment in infrastructure as evidence of a system in need of reform. Rutgers lamented the breakdown in the once-collaborative spirit between the two parties, noting that the prevalence of tie-breaking votes by the Republican chair signals a “functional failure under recent Republican control.”
With early voting underway at Town Hall and continuing through November 2, Greenwich residents face a critical decision. Voting options abound—early, absentee, or on Election Day, November 4—but the message from both sides is clear: every vote matters, and the outcome will shape the town’s future for years to come.
From the ancient castles of Caerphilly to the orderly ballot boxes of Greenwich, these contests serve as reminders that even the most entrenched political orders can be upended—and that the choices made by ordinary citizens can echo far beyond their own communities.
