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

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."

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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."