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Welsh Lib Dems fend off Reform to win Llanidloes by-election

04 Jul 2025 3 minute read
New Lid Dem councillor Fleur Frantz-Morgans

The Welsh Liberal Democrats have secured victory in a county council by-election in Llanidloes, Powys, with Reform UK finishing in second place.

Fleur Frantz-Morgans, who works for a domestic violence charity, held the seat for the Lib Dems despite a strong challenge from Nigel Farage’s party.

The by-election was called following the retirement of Liberal Democrat Councillor Gareth Morgan, who had served as Llanidloes’s councillor for 52 uninterrupted years.

Plaid Cymru finished in third place with 14.3% of the vote. Labour, who currently hold the Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr parliamentary constituency, came fifth. The Conservatives, who held both the parliamentary and Senedd seats until recently, saw their vote share drop from 21 per cent to just 7.5 per cent, placing them fourth.

‘Hold their ground’

The Welsh Liberal Democrats claim the win shows that while the Conservatives and Labour are losing votes to Reform, the Liberal Democrats are able to hold their ground, beat Reform, and are not afraid to stand up to them rather than try to copy their policies.

Newly elected Councillor Fleur Frantz-Morgans said: “I would like to thank everyone from across the community who has placed their trust in me to represent them on the council.

“I am looking forward to getting started straight away and ensuring local residents’ voices are heard clearly, and that the issues raised with me during the campaign are addressed.”

Legacy

Welsh Liberal Democrat Senedd candidate for Gwynedd Maldwyn (Montgomeryshire and Gwynedd), Councillor Glyn Preston said: “It is fantastic news that Llanidloes will have another hard-working Liberal Democrat councillor to continue the extraordinary legacy of Gareth Morgan. I am looking forward to working closely with Fleur to deliver for the people of Llanidloes.

“As we head into the Senedd elections next year, it is clear that people are fed up with the two old legacy parties. Whether it was the Conservatives’ awful record of cutting public services over the last 14 years or Welsh Labour’s poor handling of the Welsh NHS and neglect of rural areas like ours, people are crying out for change.

“In Montgomeryshire, the Liberal Democrats have a long and proud history of standing up and being a loud voice for our communities, and I look forward to continuing to build on that as next May approaches.”

Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds MS added: “While Labour and the Conservatives continue to lose support to Reform across the country, the Liberal Democrats are holding our own. That is because, unlike the two old parties, we are not afraid to stand up to Nigel Farage and take the fight to Reform.

“As the Senedd elections approach, we will continue to make the case for the improvements people want to see in their lives. Whether that is support for small businesses, fixing social care to save the NHS, or ensuring childcare is affordable, we are focused on the issues that matter in people’s day-to-day lives.”


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Rhufawn Jones
Rhufawn Jones
3 days ago

Still a unionist party, but much much better than Reform. Da iawn.

Pete
Pete
3 days ago
Reply to  Rhufawn Jones

Federalist more than pure unionist. We believe in the transfer of significant amounts of additional powers to Wales many of which would actually help to prove/disprove the viability of an independent Wales

Fi yn unig
Fi yn unig
3 days ago

Beautiful Llanidloes in the heart of our beautiful country. I may have little time for the Lib Dems but I am thanking them and their 557 voters for heading off, by only 6 votes, a sickening and horrible disaster as 551 voters tried to impose racism, hatred (including anti Welsh hatred), discord and division on a small community with big consequences if the vote had gone the other way including a UK wide social media propaganda drive by declaring Farij King of Cymru with all the other tripe to be implemented such as trashing our language, banning our flag off… Read more »

Mab Meirion
Mab Meirion
3 days ago
Reply to  Fi yn unig

Has there been an influx of up-rooted Blackcountry folk…

Last edited 3 days ago by Mab Meirion
Adam
Adam
3 days ago

Anything to keep that filth out of our beautiful country.

John Ellis
John Ellis
3 days ago

Worth remembering that Sir Drefaldwyn stuck with its multi-decade tradition – going right back to the 19th century – of voting Liberal – even during that party’s hard times in the 1950s when the number of Liberal MPs at Westminster was reduced to a mere half dozen. And when two of those only held their seats in a couple of north of England constituencies as a consequence of local pacts with the Tories. Indeed, Montgomeryshire voters remained faithful to the Lib Dems right up to the point when their Lib Dem MP Lembit Opik’s completely barmy antics in his personal… Read more »

Mab Meirion
Mab Meirion
3 days ago
Reply to  John Ellis

Give it a rest…

John Ellis
John Ellis
3 days ago
Reply to  Mab Meirion

Why should I, since you never do?!

Mab Meirion
Mab Meirion
2 days ago
Reply to  John Ellis

For a man of the cloth …!

John Ellis
John Ellis
2 days ago
Reply to  Mab Meirion

An evil from which I’m delivered …

Jeff
Jeff
3 days ago

Good to see the party that does not support same sex marriage and bans books not win.

Mab Meirion
Mab Meirion
3 days ago

Plaid, you need to get out more, ring them bells…

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