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Labour has unveiled Richard Tunnicliffe as its chosen candidate for Caerphilly’s upcoming Senedd by-election, but it has left many asking ‘Richard who?’

It had been expected that Caerphilly Council’s deputy leader Jamie Pritchard would be selected. But according to a story published by Nation Cymru, the Morgan Jones ward councillor was overlooked because of his previous support for ex-Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.

Caerphilly Observer also understands there is anger from local party activists – although publicly they are united in support of Mr Tunnicliffe.

Following the funeral of Hefin David last week, this week marked the start of Labour’s campaign to keep hold of the Caerphilly seat.

The first stop on the election trail was the Caerphilly Miners’ Centre for the Community, where Mr Tunnicliffe was joined by First Minister Eluned Morgan for a round of media interviews.

So who is Richard Tunnicliffe?

“I’m a new face locally, but I’m not new locally,” replied Mr Tunnicliffe when asked that very question.

Born and raised in Bracknell, Berkshire, Mr Tunnicliffe met his Welsh wife Lynda while at university in London. After moving around the country for work, the couple decided to settle down and start a family. They moved to Ystrad Mynach in 1999, before later moving to Caerphilly town.

The pair co-founded and run Rily Publications, a Welsh language book publisher.

“Married to a Valleys girl, she wanted to come back and be near her mam and so we moved to south Wales.

“Her family is from Troedyrhiw – a Merthyr girl – and [Caerphilly] was my compromise. I didn’t want to be right next door, and at the time they had a big new development in Forge Mill, Ystrad Mynach and we bought our first house.

“We moved down to Caerphilly about 12 years ago. This is the area where I’ve brought my kids up, this is the area where they went to playgroups, started school, and Cylch Meithrin.”

Born into a Labour-supporting family, Mr Tunnicliffe joined the party in 1988 at the age of 15. His father, Denis Tunnicliffe, was the group leader on Bracknell District Council in the early 1980s and was made a life peer in 2004.

But it wasn’t until recently that he became active in the Labour Party in Caerphilly – thanks to the persuasion of Hefin David, who was campaigning for more funding support for Welsh language publishers.

“It’s all Hefin’s fault I am here – and we miss him, we really miss him,” said Mr Tunnicliffe.

“He was brilliant and he was there being, as he always was to the Labour government, a constructive friend and lobbying for us.

“In the process of that, I obviously got to know him and at some point it came out that I was a party member and he said, ‘oh, you must get back involved’.

“Within a year, we actually came really quite close. I don’t want to be here – I wanted him to be doing this.”

After encouragement and “coaching” from Dr David, Mr Tunnicliffe put his name forward to be included in the list of Labour candidates for the Senedd election in May and “put my money where my mouth is”.

Being a new face brings advantages and disadvantages

The Caerphilly Labour group that runs the council has come under intense criticism of late over library closures, leisure centre closures, and a host of other cuts.

By choosing a fresh face, Labour avoids fielding a candidate directly tied to controversial council decisions. But it also risks putting forward an unfamiliar name on the ballot paper.

Mr Tunnicliffe acknowledged the cuts made by the council were difficult and that the Welsh Government had supported councils as much as it could, but conceded: “We all wish it were more.”

“In very, very tight financial circumstances, how can we best deliver the best services to the most people? It’s a painful change, because these things have been in people’s communities for a long time.”

He added: “When we are looking at these issues, if you don’t balance the budgets, you go bankrupt or you end up getting the auditors in, who will just hack and burn everything.”

Priorities for Caerphilly

Mr Tunnicliffe said many of the talking points he will raise on the doorstep with voters are the same ones he shared with Hefin David.

These include economic development, creating employment and training opportunities for young people, support for additional learning needs – he is a father of three sons with additional needs – and improving the NHS.

All of these, he admitted, take time and he criticised Reform UK for pushing populist policies.

“These aren’t overnight fixes. There is an old saying ‘if something’s too good to be true, it’s too good to be true’.

“What works is solid building up from the foundations, taking the community with you, explaining what you’re doing and then slowly get that investment in.

“It’s the difference between sound foundations, a soundly built structure, and someone that’s just rocked up and put up a tent on a marsh.

“But it doesn’t last, and ultimately the people you’re supposed to be helping can end up in an even worse situation.”

The Conservatives are expected to announce their candidate for the by-election, being held on October 23, later this week, with the Liberal Democrats following early next week.

Reform has also yet to announce a candidate, despite speculation it would do so at its recent party conference.

Lindsay Whittle is standing for Plaid Cymru.