Welsh Liberal Democrats shock Labour with by-election win
The Welsh Liberal Democrats have won a stunning victory over the Labour Party in a county council by-election in Cwmllynfell & Ystalyfera, Neath Port Talbot.
The Liberal Democrat candidate, former midwife and district nurse Susan Grounds secured 34% of the vote, to finish ahead of Plaid Cymru’s Brandon Havard on 30%.
Labour’s candidate Heledd Owen and Reform UK’s Cameron Richards trailed a long way behind, both earning 13% of the vote.
The by-election was held following the resignation of Labour County Councillor Cathy James.
The final result was: Liberal Democrat 34%, Plaid Cymru 30%, Reform 13%, Labour 13%, Independent 9% and Conservative 1%.
The result means the Welsh Liberal Democrats now have three councillors on Neath Port Talbot Council and their first in the Swansea Valley.
‘Fantastic victory’
Welsh Liberal Democrat MP for Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe David Chadwick said: “This is a fantastic victory for the Welsh Liberal Democrats right in Labour’s heartlands. Whether it’s the cuts to the winter fuel allowance and disability benefits or the record-breaking NHS waiting lists in Wales, people are crying out for change and are fed up with stagnation and decline under Labour.
“The Liberal Democrats are winning across Wales again and are out here proving we can challenge the status quo.
“I look forward to working hand in hand with Susan as her MP to champion communities across Cwmllynfell & Ystalyfera and the entire Swansea Valley.”
Hype
Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds MS added: “As we head into our party conference tomorrow, this win in Cwmllynfell & Ystalyfera shows there is nowhere across Wales that the Welsh Liberal Democrats can’t win as we head into next year’s Senedd elections.
“We’ve shown that the hype about ‘how well’ Reform is doing in our former mining and industrial towns is misplaced and in fact, people just want change and someone to listen to their concerns which have gone ignored for far too long.
“The Welsh Liberal Democrats will continue to work hard across Wales to provide voters with that voice for positive change in our communities.
Following the count, Susan Grounds said: “I’d like to thank everyone from across the community who have placed their trust in me to represent them on the council.
“I’m looking forward to getting stuck in straight away and ensuring local residents’ voices are heard loud and clear by the Council and the issues raised with me in the campaign are tackled.”
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Although I vote Plaid first and foremost the Lib Dems would be my second party, so I’m happy that they won, and happy that Plaid came second.
So much for the suggestion that Reform UK are sweeping across the valleys!! The media’s obsession with Farage’s mob doesn’t appear to be affecting voting intentions nearly as much as many people believe.
They still had far too many votes for a civilised society.
Here’s hoping you’re right, but I’d say that one by-election doesn’t cut enough of the proverbial mustard!
Labour’s vote is collapsing around Wales. As well as this embarrassing result they suffered a humiliating loss – to Reform – in a council seat in the south wales valleys recently. And they came nowhere in a council by-election in Swansea last week (a city that is Labour controlled). Labour’s branch office in Wales should be very worried about next year’s Senedd elections.
Labour 4th in the Valleys. Ouch.
Before the pile on I say this as a friend. This is an awful result for Plaid. For a party hoping to win next year’s election. I am beginning to see hints of this but, Plaid really need to provide more evidence of why people should vote for them. Endlessly trying to be to the left of Labour and promising to use Welsh Government funds to pay for everything and obsessing about letters written by Eluned Morgan, HS2 and the Crown Estate is clearly not working.
Plaid are right to hold Wales’ hopeless labour FM to account Lynn. They are also right to point out how Wales is being short changed to the tune of billions due to HS2 and you’ll find that devolving the crown estates to Wales is a position shared across the political spectrum. From what youve written perhaps the right of centre Gwlad would be more to your liking – they average around 8 votes a time in council by-elections.
Of course hold Labour to account. But I don’t think a Plaid Welsh Gov would force the UK Gov to hand over the HS2 money or Crown Estate and I don’t think Welsh voters (those that care) think so either and there does appear to be an over focus on these niche issues. I want Plaid to focus on a positive story of how they will improve the lives of the people of Wales with the powers and money they will have if elected. As for Gwlad, they are a bunch of eccentrics who will take votes from Plaid and… Read more »
You are quite correct. This was a dreadful result for Plaid. If others choose to bury their heads in the sand, up to them.
Trouble is Plaid held their hand for so long, they are seen as very good friends. That’s why the Liberals have done so well. This result is as bad for Plaid as Labour. The tide is certainly changing, time will teli.
I would say that this result is far worse for Labour (going from first to fourth) and Reform. The likely reason for Plaid being narrowly edged out for first place here is that this council seat is part of an area that is now held by the LibDems at parliamentary level.
If Plaid can’t take a seat from a decimated Labour party in a Welsh speaking stronghold. What chance have they got? The problem is policies or lack of. What would an independent Wales do for people who are reliant on English hospitals for healthcare? LIberal Democrats all the way.
Next year’s Senedd elections are seen as a three-way fight between Plaid, Labour and Reform, and Plaid get comfortably more votes than Labour and Reform combined in a seat that was previously held by Labour!! If that’s supposed to be an “awful” result for Plaid then what on earth would you call this result for Labour and Reform!!??
A 30% fall in vote share is not good for a party which hopes to win next year’s election.
Of course, only two parties stood in this seat in 2022, so it’s impossible to know how the electorate would have voted had there been three other parties plus an independent standing for office back then, so it’s not really comparing like with like.
If anything voter apathy was again the winner with just a 34% turnout.
As with previous council by-election results in Torfaen and Penllergaer at long last those who do vote are not instinctively putting their X alongside Labour.
34% is not bad for a council bye election. Not sure who you normally vote for but I do not celebrate the result in Torfaen which saw far-right English nationalists take the seat.
Plaid are being an effective opposition, unlike the Tories who couldn’t hold a candle to them.
So much for Reform “sweeping the board”. Here’s hoping the trend will continue. Anyone but Reform. Or their fellow far right travellers.
Labour has just had the first of many kickings to come.
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Perhaps if they were a truly independant Welsh Labour Party we might still trust them to act in our best interests instead of simply brown-noseing English Labour and it’s principle-free administrators who seem to have become nothing more than “Tory-Light”.
Plaid and the same Labour party were joined at the hip for years. The Labour party was OK then. Well it is the same Labour party now.
Even though a council by-election result, shows all that Labour have a problem at all levels in Wales. In power too long in councils, Cardiff Bay, add an ineffectual First Minister against her right wing counterpart in London currently wearing Reform UK clothes, is it a surprise that Labour were thumped in this by-election. Not really. But I echo others when they say although they vote a certain way are content the Liberals Democrats beat Welsh Labour and that Plaid Cymru came in a strong second, although personally would have preferred it to be the other way round. Glad also… Read more »
It’s good for politics if the Dems are a stronger voice but they have to work on their ambition. Their last stint in Cardiff was a story of managed decline and everytime their local representatives get involved it’s to try and talk the capital city into a provincial backwater.
If Plaid can keep up the campaign to the Senedd elections then we can expect to be near to achieving a Plaid led government. We need to continue to make it clear that ‘reform’ is an far right group that is appeasing fascist dictatorships around the world including Trump and Putin and such if elected to our Senedd would do great damage to Wales, people and economy. Plaid Cymru should be able to attract many English speaking Welsh people. But, there are areas may be harder to reach and that is where the Liberal democrats will provide the alternative. At… Read more »