By-election looms after Reform politician steps down as councillor

Twm Owen, Local Democracy Reporter

A councillor’s election to the Senedd means a by-election to a Gwent council is likely.

Jason O’Connell, who was one of four Reform UK members on Torfaen Borough Council, has had to resign as a councillor for Llantarnam after being elected to the Senedd in the Pontypridd Cynon Merthyr constituency.

A by-election will be announced once Torfaen Borough Council has received requests from at least two local government electors within the local authority area.

Mr O’Connell, who was elected as an independent before joining Reform with the ward’s two other independent councillors in August 2024, said he hoped the party will contest the seat he won at a February 2023 by-election.

“It’s a difficult thing to leave Llantarnam ward and I love Llantarnam,” said Mr O’Connell: “I just want to make sure they get a good representative as a replacement and hopefully they’ll see the good work we’ve done there and continue to back us with a new Reform councillor.”

The former councillor played a prominent role in the party’s Senedd campaign and had been touted as a potential leader before Nigel Farage unveiled former Conservative leader of Barnet council in London, Dan Thomas, as his pick for Welsh leader.

Labour had finished second in the February 2023 by-election, with 406 votes, compared to Mr O’Connell’s 489 in the battle to succeed an independent councillor elected at the 2022 local government elections.

Since then Labour lost the Trevethin and Penygarn ward to Reform in February 2025, when the party won its first unitary authority seat in Wales via the ballot box, and has also been defeated by Reform in a number of by-elections at the community council level.

Labour will continue to have a double figure majority on the borough council regardless of the outcome of any by-election in Llantarnam but Plaid Cymru could spot an opportunity to get its first seat on Torfaen Borough Council.

The party finished second overall to Reform in the combined Sir Fynwy and Torfaen constituency, with the parties both winning two of the six seats, and its newly elected Senedd Member, Matthew Jones, urged potential candidates to come forward.

Mr Jones said it was too soon to confirm if Plaid would contest the seat but said: “I would really like to see us put someobody forward and if anybody thinks they’d want to represent Plaid Cymru in Llantarnam then please get in touch with me.”

Labour council leader

Torfaen’s Labour council leader Anthony Hunt, who failed to get elected to the Senedd with the party’s vote so squeezed top candidate Lynne Neagle could only secure fifth place on the list, confirmed he intends to carry on leading the council.

Cllr Hunt said: “Obviously I was disappointed by the (Senedd) result but I’ve still got a major passion for the job on the council and want to make Torfaen more prosperous and there’s a heck of a lot of work to do.”

The Labour leader said it would be a decision for the local party on whether to contest a by-election but said he hoped it would and said: “We will keep fighting for our communities and it is an opportunity for us to set out how we feel best placed to take our community forward.”

Plaid Cymru and the Green Paryt also contest the Llantarnam ward at the 2022 elections and the area was held by Labour before its former members Alan Slade and David Thomas quit Labour to sit as independents having been elected as party candidates in 2017.

Torfaen council has published a notice of vacancy for the Llantarnam ward which means a by-election willl be triggered if two written request are received by the council. The returning officer will then have 35 days to set a date for the election. There is no deadline for requests but the seat will remain vacant if the required number aren’t received.