“Cracks are beginning to show” in the party, said The Independent. After taking control of 10 councils last May, Reform’s “experience so far is that governing and running things is hard work. Easy political slogans and simple solutions are much more difficult to implement than say.”

The result, when it is announced in the early hours of Friday morning, will also give a clear indication of where British politics as a whole could be heading next May. The south Wales seat has been a Labour stronghold at both Westminster and Cardiff Bay for decades, with tellers advised to weigh rather than count the party’s votes.

Elon Musk steps back into British politics after speaking at a rally led by controversial right-winger Tommy Robinson, as he continues criticizing Nigel Farage amid voter frustration.

Life imitates art, sometimes too well. The Soviet double agent Kim Philby was so impressed by the work of John le Carre that he asked to meet the doyen of British spy novelists in Moscow in the late 1980s.

The Cabinet Office minister, Nick Thomas-Symonds, said Labour had a very tough fight on its hands ahead of the Welsh Parliament elections in May. Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth told BBC Breakfast the win was "historic for the political story of Wales".

Welsh First Minister Eluned Morgan appeared to take a swipe at Sir Keir Starmer after Labour lost a key by-election. Plaid Cymru won the Caerphilly seat in the Welsh Parliament after a fierce battle with Reform UK, with defending party Labour trailing in third.

The Hong Kong government has rejected a UK report calling for the release of jailed tycoon Jimmy Lai, accusing London of “despicable political manoeuvres.”

Punk-rock duo Bob Vylan have postponed two UK gigs, blaming "political pressure". The band have been making headlines since leading chants of "death, death to the IDF (Israel Defence Forces)" at Glastonbury Festival in June which was livestreamed by the BBC.

A victory for Mr Farage's candidate, 30-year-old Llyr Powell, would leave Reform UK on the road to further triumphs and have an impact on UK politics far beyond the Welsh Valleys.