CAERPHILLY'S constituency Labour Party is facing calls to pay for a community council by-election which it called - and then failed to put a candidate forward for.

Cllr Judith Pritchard, who is a member of Gelligaer Community Council and represents St Cattwg on Caerphilly County Borough Council, accused Labour of wasting time and public money.

Labour called for an election when its member Rhiannon Stone stepped down, but when nominations closed last week the only candidate put forward was Plaid Cymru’s Adrienne Wood.

Plaid Cymru councillor Judith Pritchard said: “I’m annoyed that Labour should call for an election and then not even bother to put a candidate up. It is the second time in under two years this has happened after the Ystrad Mynach by-election debacle in May 2021.”

Plaid Cymru now holds 12 out of 13 seats on Gelligaer Community Council, the Hengoed seat is vacant and is set to be filled by co-option.

Cllr Judith Pritchard said: “Caerphilly Council staff have put up the notices of an election up, printed polling cards in anticipation of an election and arranged for the ballot papers to be printed once nominations closed. All the costs will be passed onto Gelligaer Community Council to pick up the bill.

“The failed Ystrad Mynach by-election cost the authority £2,229 and the bill will be even higher this time.”

She added: “The community council could have co-opted a community-spirited individual without the waste of more than £2,200 of the public’s money by Labour. The local Labour Party should really come forward and offer to pay the bill.”

Deputy leader of the Labour-led Caerphilly County Borough Council, Jamie Pritchard, said it was a “regret”.

He added: “I can’t defend it, we call a by-election and don’t put a candidate up. Labour, Plaid Cymru and other parties do struggle to find candidates sometimes.”