Plaid Cymru keep hold of council seat as Wales’ most Welsh speaking village goes to polls

Plaid Cymru have kept hold of a council seat in a local election billed as a ‘dress rehearsal’ for Covid restrictions that will be in place for nationwide Senedd and Police and Crime Commissioner elections on May 6.

Beca Brown won the Llanrug by-election with 63.3% of the vote. The election in the village near Caernarfon in Gwynedd was caused by the death of Plaid Cymru councillor Charles Wyn Jones.

The full result was:

Beca Brown PC: 431 – 63.3%

Richie Green – Independent: 221 – 32.5%

Calum Davies – Lib Dem: 16 – 2.3%

Martin Bristow – Independent: 13 – 1.9%

Calum Davies is the Liberal Democrat candidate in the Arfon seat in the Senedd election in May.

Voters were reminded of the need to maintain social distancing and to wear a face-covering in the building.

Staff were provided with PPE, and hand sanitiser was in place at the entrance. A perspex screen was also in place and voters were urged to bring their own pencils or biro.

With 87.8% of residents in Llanrug being Welsh speakers, it has the highest percentage of Welsh speakers in the country.