Lindsay Geoffrey Whittle (born March 1953) is a Welsh politician who has been a Member of the Senedd (MS) for Blaenau Gwent Caerffili Rhymni since 2026. A member of Plaid Cymru, he previously served as the MS for the South Wales East region from 2011 to 2016 and then again for Caerphilly, from 2025 to 2026.

He represented the Penyrheol area as a councillor continuously from 1976 to 2025, and has also served as Leader of Caerphilly County Borough Council twice, from 1999 to 2004, and again from 2008 to 2011.

Personal life Whittle was born in Caerphilly in South Wales, and lives in Abertridwr, Caerphilly.

Political career

Local government Whittle was first elected in the 1976 local elections, representing the Penyrheol and Trecenydd ward on Rhymney Valley district council. He was re-elected repeatedly until the council was abolished in 1996. He was further elected to Mid Glamorgan County Council at the 1977 local elections, representing a division at the time simply named 'Caerphilly No. 4' but lost the seat in 1981. He continued to contest this ward, later renamed also to Penyrheol, at elections in 1989 and 1993, but was not re-elected.

After the abolition of Rhymney Valley council, Whittle contested the Penyrheol ward on the new Caerphilly County Borough Council. He represented the ward since the establishment of the council in 1995, being elected to represent the ward 7 times, before resigning his seat following his victory in the 2025 Caerphilly by-election. He continued to represent the ward during his 2011 to 2016 term as a member of the National Assembly for Wales.

Whittle has served as the council's leader for two distinct periods, 1999 to 2004 and 2008 to 2011. He had further served as Plaid Cymru's group leader on the council from 2022 until 2025.

Whittle was also the Welsh Local Government Association's spokesperson on Equalities, Community Safety and Social Justice.

National politics Whittle has stood in every Senedd (formerly Welsh Assembly) election since its formation in 1999, and was first successfully elected as a Member of the Welsh Assembly (AM; now Member of the Senedd (MS)) in the 2011 election as a member on the South Wales East list. He was appointed as Plaid Cymru's spokesperson for Social Services, Children & Equal Opportunities shortly after. He retained this role when Leanne Wood took over after the 2012 Plaid Cymru leadership election. His role was slightly modified after Wood reshuffled Plaid's frontbench in May 2013, and he became spokesperson for Social Services, Equality & Older People. He functionally remained in the Equalities and Social Services brief for his entire term. He lost his seat at the 2016 Senedd election, as Plaid Cymru were reduced from 2 to 1 seats in the region.

Whittle has stood ten times for the Westminster Parliament seat of Caerphilly—first standing in the 1983 general election and standing again in every general election since, except in 2015. His best result (by both placing and vote share) was in the 2024 general election, in which Whittle came second with 21.2% of the vote on a turnout of 52.7%. In each election he lost to the Labour Party, who have won the seat continuously since the seat's formation in 1918.

Following the death of incumbent MS Hefin David, Whittle was announced as Plaid Cymru's candidate for the 2025 Caerphilly by-election. Whittle won the election with 47% of the vote. This was the first time Labour had failed to win the seat since the establishment of the Senedd in 1999. He won Caerphilly after contesting the constituency 13 times since 1983. Upon being elected, he stood down as a councillor for Penyrheol, as he could not hold both roles simultaneously.

In the 2026 Senedd election, he was a candidate in the Blaenau Gwent Caerffili Rhymni constituency, placed second on the Plaid Cymru list and was elected alongside Delyth Jewell and Niamh Salkeld.

Electoral performance Whittle has contested a total of 19 elections for either the Senedd (formerly known as the Welsh Assembly) and Westminster under the Plaid Cymru banner:

Date of election SeatParty Votes % of votes Result2026 Senedd electionWho Can I Vote For?, accessed 24 October 2025. Blaenau Gwent Caerffili Rhymni (2nd on list)Plaid Cymru29,31442.0Elected2025 Senedd Caerphilly by-electionCaerphillyPlaid Cymru15,96147.4Elected2024 UK general electionCaerphillyPlaid Cymru8,11921.2Not elected2021 Senedd electionSouth Wales East (3rd on list)Plaid Cymru30,53014.7Not elected2019 UK general electionCaerphillyPlaid Cymru6,42416.0Not elected2017 UK general electionCaerphillyPlaid Cymru5,96214.4Not elected2016 Welsh Assembly electionCaerphillyPlaid Cymru8,00929.5Not elected2011 Welsh Assembly electionSouth Wales East (2nd on list)Plaid Cymru21,85112.1Elected2010 UK general electionCaerphillyPlaid Cymru6,46016.7Not elected2007 Welsh Assembly electionCaerphillyPlaid Cymru6,73925.8Not elected2005 UK general electionCaerphillyPlaid Cymru6,83117.4Not elected2003 Welsh Assembly electionSouth Wales East (2nd on list)Plaid Cymru21,38412.6Not elected2003 Welsh Assembly electionCaerphillyPlaid Cymru6,91927.4Not elected2001 UK general electionCaerphillyPlaid Cymru8,17221.0Not elected1999 Welsh Assembly electionSouth Wales East (4th on list)Plaid Cymru49,13930.37Not elected1997 UK general electionCaerphillyPlaid Cymru4,3839.7Not elected1992 UK general electionCaerphillyPlaid Cymru4,8219.7Not elected1987 UK general electionCaerphillyPlaid Cymru3,9558.05Not elected1983 UK general electionCaerphillyPlaid Cymru6,41413.56Not elected

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