Labour has been dealt a devastating blow after voters turned their back on Keir Starmer’s party in the latest Welsh by-election.
The winners of the by-election in the Fishbourne North East ward, part of Pembrokeshire County Council, were announced this morning, with defending Labour ceding control of the seat to Plaid Cymru.
Only 11.1 per cent of votes were awarded to Labour, putting them in fourth place in the contest (83 votes).
The result marks a 47.9 percentage point drop for the party since the previous election in 2022, in what could be an omen ahead of the local elections in May.
Plaid Cymru’s William Shaw was announced as the newly elected councillor to Pembrokeshire County Council after winning 33.8 per cent of the vote (253 votes).
The result saw the Welsh nationalist party win a 118-vote majority over the Lib Dem runner-up.
Ed Davey’s party took home 18 per cent of the vote (135 votes), while Reform UK came in third with 12.7 per cent (95 votes).
Reform’s third-place ranking comes after Nigel Farage’s party topped the polls in the Ynys Gybi (Ynys Môn) by-election last Thursday in the Isle of Anglesey, gaining a previously held Plaid Cymru seat.
Plaid Cymru councillor William Shaw won the previously Labour held seat with 34% of the votes
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Independent candidate Teresa Ruth Tannahill came in fifth, with 79 votes, representing 10.5 per cent of the vote share.
The Conservative Party came in a distant sixth with 9.2 per cent (69 votes).
Brian Andrew Murphy’s result for the Welsh Tory party marked a 31.9 per cent drop in vote share compared to the results of the 2022 contest.
Coming in last place was independent Adrian John Tyrrell with 35 votes (4.7 per cent).
Sir Keir Starmer’s party dropped nearly 50 percentage points since the last election
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PA
The Fishbourne North East by-election had a turnout of almost 50 per cent with 749 people voting.
Following his win, Cllr William Shaw wrote on Facebook: “Thank you Fishguard NE for electing me as your County Councillor.”
The ward sits within the Ceredigion Preseli constituency in the west of Wales, which is represented by Plaid Cymru MP Ben Lake.
A by-election in the ward was called following the death of independent councillor Jordan Ryan in November.
THE FULL RESULTS:
- William Shaw – Plaid Cymru – 33.8 per cent
- Caleb Churchill – Liberal Democrats – 18 per cent
- Peter John – Reform UK – 12.7 per cent
- Paul Howe – Labour – 11.1 per cent
- Teresa Tannahill – Independent – 10.5 per cent
- Brian Murphy – Conservatives – 9.2 per cent
- Adrian Tyrrell – Independent – 4.7 per cent
Rhun ap Iorwerth, Member of the Senedd for Ynys Môn, wrote on X: “Big win for Billy Shaw – a real community champion.
“Labour’s time is up. For too long, they’ve let Wales down.
“Plaid Cymru’s positive vision offers Wales a fresh start, and we can stop Reform in its tracks.
“Let’s deliver that new leadership for Wales together in May!”
Next week, Welsh voters again will head to the polling stations in the Van ward in Caerphilly, alongside English council by-elections in the Stoneygate ward in Leicester and the Zetland ward in Redcar and Cleveland.
In all three wards, Labour faces an uphill struggle to defend its seats.
