The leader of Caerphilly council has resigned from the Labour Party and stepped down as council leader, saying he will vote for Plaid Cymru in the forthcoming Senedd by-election.
Councillor Sean Morgan, who will remain an independent member of the authority, told BBC Wales and local reporters he could no longer be aligned with Labour and described the party as a "busted flush." His departure comes days after Welsh Labour launched its campaign to defend the Caerphilly seat, which is being contested following the sudden death in August of Labour Member of the Senedd Hefin David.
Morgan said he would support Plaid Cymru's candidate, former council leader Lindsay Whittle, and criticised Labour’s selection of its candidate, Richard Tunnicliffe, a children’s book publisher and longstanding member of the Labour Party. Morgan alleged that party officials had "twisted the rules" and staged a "fix" that prevented his deputy, councillor Jamie Pritchard, from standing in the selection contest.
In interviews with BBC Wales and the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Morgan said Pritchard failed an initial screening because of past tweets supportive of former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and media coverage of his council duties. He also alleged that another potential candidate was allowed to stand despite an apparent rule barring those already selected for the May 2026 elections. Morgan said Welsh Labour secretary Joe Lock had changed selection rules the night before a hustings.
Labour denied the claims, saying no changes had been made to the process and that robust due diligence is applied by the Welsh Executive Committee. A Labour spokesman confirmed Morgan was no longer a party member and said colleagues remained focused on delivering for people in Caerphilly.
Morgan also criticised the national party leadership, saying he had been unhappy with Keir Starmer and accusing the UK government of being "complicit" in Israel’s actions in Gaza. He told reporters that his "moral standing does not allow me to be aligned with the Labour party any longer."
Plaid Cymru said it welcomed support for its candidate and urged voters to put their trust in Lindsay Whittle to send a message to Cardiff and London. The Conservatives and Reform UK, who have their own candidates, said Labour’s local turmoil underlined broader problems for the party in Wales. The Conservatives have selected Gareth Potter; Reform said it would name its candidate this week.
Caerphilly council will begin the process of electing a new leader. Labour, which holds a majority on the council, will retain control of the authority despite Morgan’s resignation from the party leadership.
The Senedd by-election in Caerphilly is scheduled for 23 October. The contest follows the unexpected death of Hefin David in August and will test local and national support for the parties amid disputes over candidate selection and internal party management.
Observers said the developments highlight tensions within Welsh Labour ahead of the poll, but party officials pointed to due process and an ongoing focus on delivering services locally. Morgan’s decision to leave Labour and back Plaid adds an unusual element to a by-election shaped by the sudden vacancy and a compressed campaign timetable.