**Labour’s Caerphilly By-Election Candidate Accused of “Hypocrisy” over Library Closures**
Labour’s Caerphilly by-election candidate, Richard Tunnicliffe, has been accused of hypocrisy after pledging to fight for the protection of public libraries, despite previously expressing sympathy for plans to close some of them.
The local Labour-run council had proposed library closures as part of efforts to address a £29 million budget gap. However, these proposals were paused in August following significant public backlash and a legal challenge.
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### Previous Statements on Library Closures
At the start of the campaign, Tunnicliffe described the council’s approach as “consolidating” services to “maximise the services we can provide,” while noting that “a lot of people” are no longer using libraries as much as in the past.
In an interview with BBC Wales on 8 September, Tunnicliffe, who is also a book publisher, said:
> “People’s consumption of books has changed. Digital media has taken on a huge amount, and the whole structure has altered. A lot of people are not using libraries as much as they had in the past.”
He also mentioned that many library buildings are aging and require increasing maintenance. Tunnicliffe defended the council’s consolidation strategy by citing 15 years of cuts from previous UK Conservative governments but added:
> “We are meeting the council later, so we will continue to try and provide as many services as possible as close to people’s communities as possible.”
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### A Change in Tone During the Campaign
Despite these earlier comments, in a video posted on social media just days later, Tunnicliffe vowed to:
> “Fight to keep our libraries open… with your support… to make sure our libraries stay open for generations to come.”
He promised to work with the council to ensure any extra funding would be directed towards preserving these vital community facilities.
On Thursday, following an announcement that Caerphilly would receive an extra £20 million over 10 years from a UK government scheme aimed at boosting high streets, parks, and public spaces, Tunnicliffe released another video. He said:
> “We’ve been out canvassing people about what their major issues are, and people want their libraries, these key local amenities, saved. And so that’s what we’re campaigning for now. So add your voice. Please sign the petition so we can tell the board this is where we want the money spent.”
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### Criticism from Rival Parties
Reform UK by-election candidate Llyr Powell sharply criticised Tunnicliffe’s position, saying:
> “The hypocrisy from the Labour candidate is staggering. While he feigns concern for our communities, his Labour-run council is fighting tooth-and-nail to close our libraries and strip residents of essential services.”
Reform UK says it would cut what it calls “wasteful” Welsh government spending and push Caerphilly council to use its reserves to keep libraries open.
Plaid Cymru also condemned the Labour candidate. A spokesperson stated:
> “Mere weeks ago Richard Tunnicliffe was defending Caerphilly council’s plans to close our libraries. Now, with an election looming, Labour is suddenly launching petitions and promising to ‘save’ them with a new funding pot. It’s cynical, last-minute pork-barrel politics from a party that’s taken Caerphilly for granted for decades.”
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The Conservatives and Liberal Democrats have been approached for comment.
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### By-Election Candidates Announced So Far
– **Labour:** Richard Tunnicliffe
– **Conservatives:** Gareth Potter
– **Green Party:** Gareth Hughes
– **Gwlad:** Anthony Cook
– **Plaid Cymru:** Lindsay Whittle
– **Welsh Liberal Democrats:** Steve Aicheler
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*This by-election is attracting significant attention amid budget cuts and debates over the future of public services in Caerphilly.*
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clyd147rz9do?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss
