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Plaid Cymru’s group leader on Caerphilly Council will stand for his party at the next UK general election.

Councillor Lindsay Whittle, who represents the Penyrheol, Trecenydd and Energlyn ward, has been named as Plaid Cymru’s candidate for the newly-redrawn Caerphilly constituency.

No date has yet been set for the next general election, but it must be held by January 2025 at the latest.

It will be the tenth time Cllr Whittle has contested the Caerphilly seat during a general election, with his first attempt coming in 1983.

Despite never being elected to Parliament, he was elected to the Senedd (then called Welsh Assembly) in 2011, where he represented the South Wales East region for five years.

A councillor for 47 years, Cllr Whittle has served as council leader twice, with his first spell in charge between 1999 and 2004 and his second spell between 2008 and 2011.

Outside of politics, Cllr Whittle is the chair of governors at his old school – Cwm Ifor Primary.

He also volunteers at two schools as part of the Baptists 707 literacy project, as well as at the Oasis Community Church coffee shop in Abertridwr, and the Spirit Church food bank in Caerphilly town.

After his candidacy was announced, Cllr Whittle said: “I’m delighted to have been given a vote of confidence by party members to stand in the new constituency, an area where I was born and live.”

He took a swipe at Labour and said the party has “taken Caerphilly and its people for granted for far too long”. 

He vowed: “If elected I will strive to improve people’s lives and Caerphilly will always be my number one priority.

“I’m proud of living in Caerphilly. It is an area with such brilliant people. It’s where I belong.”

Cllr Whittle highlighted his opposition to council plans for a new transport interchange in Caerphilly, the closure of Coffi Vista, and what he called “council mismanagement” of the Ffos Caerffili project.

Referencing the recent Rochdale by-election, Cllr Whittle said: “People in Rochdale rejected the major UK parties in a big way with a local activist polling more than Labour and the Tories.

“It can happen here with people genuinely disillusioned with big parties, Westminster and even more so with local Labour council mismanagement.”

Also confirmed to be standing in the Caerphilly constituency is Labour’s Chris Evans.

Currently the MP for Islwyn, Mr Evans will stand in Caerphilly following the constituency boundaries changing.

Labour incumbent Wayne David will be standing down at the next election, having represented Caerphilly since 2001.