By-election victories for Conservatives and Labour

Richard Youle Local Democracy Reporter

Conservative and Labour candidates have come out on top in two by-elections in Swansea.

Hannah Williams comfortably won in Mumbles for the Conservatives while in Morriston Labour’s Rebecca Francis-Davies saw off a strong Reform UK challenge.

Cllr Williams said of her victory: “We were hoping it would be a successful campaign – the scale of the victory was fantastic to see.”

She polled 933 votes with Labour in second and Reform UK close behind in third. The seat had become available after incumbent Francesca O’Brien became a Reform UK member of the Senedd at last month’s national election.

The Conservatives now have five Swansea councillors including Cllr Williams’s Mumbles ward colleagues Will Thomas and Angela O’Connor.

It’s the first time Cllr Williams, who is a new member of the Conservative Party and works in the charity sector, has stood for office. “I just felt it was a really good opportunity to work for the community,” she said. “I’m very passionate about where we live. I wanted to get involved and make Mumbles the best place it can be for residents and visitors.”

The mother-of-two grew up in the area and returned after going to university in Manchester. She said her husband Ben volunteered for the Mumbles RNLI for 25 years and that friends and other family members have been involved with the rescue charity and community more generally. She said she’d been impressed with the work done by Mumbles ward members and what they’d achieved. “I wanted to be part of that team,” she said.

Over in the east of the city newly-elected Cllr Francis-Davies follows in the footsteps of her father, Robert, who represented Morriston for more than 40 years and whose death triggered the by-election.

She received 908 votes compared to 822 for Reform UK’s Graham Ashby. “I’m just very happy that people in Morriston put their faith in me,” she said. “I think I can make a difference. I’ve gone into it with my eyes wide open, and I know what hard work it is.

“I’ve got really strong views about adult social care and mental health services and want to ensure people get the right support.”

Cllr Francis-Davies runs a HR consultancy and lectures at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David business school. She grew up in Morriston and lived away for a while in Warwick where she served as a town councillor. She recalled having to wear white gloves, a gown and “a very strange hat” in that role.

In 2022 she stood as a candidate for Uplands in the council elections and then as a Labour candidate for Gwyr Abertawe at last month’s Senedd election.

Cllr Francis-Davies’ two sons, university student Barnaby and his younger brother George, who works with their uncle Andrew at The Deer’s Leap pub, Morriston, were at last night’s count.

Cllr Francis-Davies said she’d come across a small number of electors on the doorstep who stated they would vote for Reform UK and also a lot of people who were concerned that Reform UK would win.

“I also had lovely comments about things my father had done for them – grants he’d found for sports clubs and helping people to find housing,” she said.

The win means Labour, which controls the council, retains its tight grip in Morriston with five councillors.

Mumbles by-election result: Hannah Williams (Conservatives) 933 votes, David Lewis (Labour) 460, Emilie Cox (Reform UK) 458, Tricia Sanderson (Plaid Cymru) 268, Rich Williams (Green Party) 200, Dorian Davies (Independent) 118, Jim Hehir (Liberal Democrats) 66.

Morriston by-election result: Rebecca Francis-Davies (Labour) 908 votes, Graham Ashby (Reform UK) 822, Ioan Warlow (Plaid Cymru) 569, Gareth Schofield (Green Party) 107, Hayden Lewis (Liberal Democrats) 93, Idin Ghotbi (Conservatives) 87.