Charlotte Bishop
Cllr Charlotte Jane Bishop | |
|---|---|
 2026 Headshot | |
| Leader of the Plaid Cymru Group on Caerphilly Council | |
| Assumed office November 2025 | |
| Member of Caerphilly County Borough Council for Aber Valley | |
| Assumed office 2021 | |
| Personal details | |
| Profession | Politician, teacher |
| Website | Caerphilly Council Profile |
Charlotte Jane Bishop is a Welsh politician serving as a county councillor for the Aber Valley ward since 2021, and the leader of the Plaid Cymru group on the Caerphilly County Borough Council since November 2025. She is the first woman to hold the group leadership position.[1][2]
She also sits as a community councillor for the Abertridwr ward on the Aber Valley Community Council, and stood as a Plaid Cymru list candidate for the Blaenau Gwent Caerffili Rhymni constituency in the 2026 Senedd election.
Background
[edit source]Outside of politics, Bishop has worked as a nursery teacher. She also teaches self-defence to volunteers travelling to Ukraine.[3]
Political career
[edit source]Local government
[edit source]Bishop was first elected to Caerphilly County Borough Council representing Aber Valley in the 2021 Aber Valley by-election, running unopposed.[4] She retained her seat in the 2022 Caerphilly local elections, placing third with 773 votes to secure the ward alongside John Taylor and John Eryl Roberts.[5]
In November 2025, following the election of Lindsay Whittle to the Senedd and his subsequent resignation from the council, Bishop ran unopposed for the vacant leadership of the Plaid Cymru group on the council. Upon her election, she became the first female leader of the group.[6]
As group leader, Bishop has been an active voice in local politics, regularly featuring in Welsh media. She has publicly challenged the council's decision-making regarding the sell-off of a local solar farm,[7] and formally complained to the council's chief executive over the Labour group's allegedly unauthorised use of the official council logo on party political leaflets.[8] She has also been a vocal critic of local transport and infrastructure choices, questioning the safety reviews behind the removal of free school transport for secondary pupils[9] and expressing disappointment that local council tax funding is being used for regional A469 repairs instead of direct Welsh Government support.[10]
National politics
[edit source]Bishop stood in the 2026 Senedd election as the fifth list candidate for Plaid Cymru in the Blaenau Gwent Caerffili Rhymni constituency. Plaid Cymru won the constituency with 41.98% of the vote, securing seats for the top three candidates on their list: Delyth Jewell, Lindsay Whittle, and Niamh Salkeld.[11]
Electoral performance
[edit source]| Date of election | Seat | Party | Votes | % of votes | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Senedd election | Blaenau Gwent Caerffili Rhymni (5th on list) | Plaid Cymru | 29,314 | 42.0 | Not elected | |
| 2022 Caerphilly local elections | Aber Valley | Plaid Cymru | 773 | 25.6 | Elected | |
| 2021 Caerphilly local by-election | Aber Valley | Plaid Cymru | N/A | N/A | Elected (Unopposed) | |
References
[edit source]- ↑ Mansfield, Mark (4 November 2025). "Plaid Cymru elects new council group leader". Nation.Cymru. Retrieved 30 July 2026.
- ↑ "Plaid Cymru elects its first female council group leader". Caerphilly Observer. Retrieved 30 July 2026.
- ↑ "Caerphilly Plaid Group Elects First Woman Leader". Blaenau Gwent Caerffili Rhymni - Party of Wales. 4 November 2025. Retrieved 30 July 2026.
- ↑ "Caerphilly local election: This election has been cancelled". Who Can I Vote For?. Retrieved 30 July 2026.
- ↑ "Caerphilly local election: The 4 candidates in Aber Valley". Who Can I Vote For?. Retrieved 30 July 2026.
- ↑ "Caerphilly Plaid Cymru group leaders: Lindsay Whittle and Charlotte Bishop". Caerphilly Observer. Retrieved 30 July 2026.
- ↑ "Plaid Cymru slam council's solar farm sell-off". Nation.Cymru. Retrieved 30 July 2026.
- ↑ "Plaid unhappy Labour use council logo on leaflet". South Wales Argus. Retrieved 30 July 2026.
- ↑ Thomas, Nicholas (20 March 2026). "Hundreds of pupils to lose free school transport as safety concerns raised". Nation.Cymru. Retrieved 30 July 2026.
- ↑ "Key route set for £20m works but anger at Welsh Government remains". WalesOnline. 18 January 2026. Retrieved 30 July 2026.
- ↑ "Senedd election: Blaenau Gwent Caerffili Rhymni". Who Can I Vote For?. Retrieved 30 July 2026.