Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe election result: Lib Dems take seat off Conservatives

David Chadwick won the seat for the Party securing over 30 per cent of the vote compared to 26 per cent for the Conservatives.

Mr Chadwick polled 13,736 votes, with Fay Jones getting 12,264, Labour’s Matthew Dorrance in third place with 9,904 and Reform UK’s Adam Hill in fourth place with 6,567 votes.

Plaid Cymru received 2,280, the Green Party got 1,188, Lily the Pink for the Monster Raving Loony Party got 237 votes and Abolish the Welsh Senedd got 372 votes.

The Party has said that the win, alongside a successful set of local election results in Wales in 2022, demonstrates that the Liberal Democrats are back on the up in Wales as the Party looks to make gains ahead of the 2026 Senedd Elections.

Party Leader Jane Dodds has pledged that Welsh Liberal Democrats will hold any incoming Labour Government to account in both Westminster and the Senedd.

David Chadwick MP pledged to stand up for the diverse needs of what is one of the UK’s largest constituencies, whether its backing local farmers and rural communities or fighting for improvements in the post-industrial Upper Swansea Valley.

Mr Chadwick said: “I would like to thank the people of Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe for placing their trust in me to represent them in Parliament.

“I ran on a vow to empower local voices and to champion the interests of our diverse constituency and its communities and I will work tirelessly to ensure we are heard loudly and clearly by those in power in London.”

Commenting, the Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats and Mid & West Wales Senedd Member Jane Dodds said:

“David is going to make a first class MP for Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe and I can’t wait to work hand in hand with him to deliver for the people of Mid Wales and Wales as a whole.

“The people have spoken and they have chosen a true local champion to represent them in parliament.

“This victory shows that the Liberal Democrats are back on the acedency in Wales and come off the back of successful local elections for us in 2022. Today is the first day of the campaign towards the next Senedd election and we are looking forward to electing a strong team of members when the time comes.

“We ran our campaign with a promise to deliver a fair deal to everyone living in Wales, and that is exactly what we intend to do now. With David in Parliament and a large team of Liberal Democrat MPs in Westminster we look forward to delivering on the public’s priorities.”

Former MP Fay Jones said; “I do sincerely congratulate David on winning the seat. It is the best seat in the country. It has been the honour of my life to represent it.

“Clearly it is a sad and difficult night for my party and I hope we will take the time to reflect wisely.

“But for now, truly, it was the most incredible experience being the MP for Brecon and Radnorshire and I cannot thank the constituents enough, those that elected me and those that did not. It has been an honour to serve.”

She thanked all those who organised the count, her campaign team and Conservative central office staff.

Reform UK’s Adam Hill who came fourth said the campaign had been a learning curve for him personally as it is the first time he has stood.

He said he has been well received on the door and feels the result may be extremely close between the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and Reform.

The cost of living, the NHS and devolved matters were the things brought up to him on the doorstep and he said there has been a mixed reaction to Nigel Farage becoming leader.

“I only joined the party in March and I am pleased we have opened people’s eyes to a different option.

“I have been to as many shows and events that I could but we are self-financed. I have emptied my savings and only used 10 per cent of what we are allowed to spend and there have been times when I have been close to going to a foodbank.

“If they change the rules, because I have not lived here for five years, I may stand for the Senedd in 2026 and I would stand again for the next general election. I want to make a difference, I am not a career politician. I will fight for the people locally.”

Overall turnout for Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe was 63.83 per cent.

In 2019, Fay Jones won the seat for the Conservative with a majority of 7,131 having received 21,958 votes, Liberal Democrat Jane Dodds was second with 14,827 votes and Labour’s Tom Davies came third with 3,944 votes.

The turnout was 74.5 per cent.

The Brecon and Radnor seat has always swung between Conservative and Liberal Democrats in the 1990’s and 2000’s.

Former Powys County Councillor Roger Williams held the seat from 2001 to 2015. But in 2015 he shed over 6,500 votes from his 2010 result and the seat was reclaimed for the Conservatives by Chris Davies, with a majority of 5,102.

In 2019, Davies pleaded guilty to filing false expenses claims, triggering a recall petition, the third such petition in the UK.

The petition was successful, forcing Davies to vacate the seat. A by-election was held on 1 August 1 2019, which was won by Liberal Democrat candidate Jane Dodds.

Dodds was then defeated by Conservative Fay Jones at the general election in December 2019.

Before the election, Fay Jones, who served as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Wales in Rishi Sunak’s Government, said: “I got into politics to be a voice for rural areas. And throughout my time in Westminster, I have been someone that Government cannot ignore; that’s why I was able to overturn the decision to close Brecon Barracks and secured millions of pounds of UK Government investment for projects like

"The Judge’s Lodgings in Presteigne. Rural Radnorshire deserves a loud, clear voice.

“I’ve been that person for the last four and a half years and I hope I can continue.”

The full results are:

David Chadwick - Liberal Democrats: 13,736

Matthew Dorrance - Labour: 9,904

Emily Durrant-Munro - Plaid Cymru: 2,280

Jonathan Harrington - Abolish the Welsh Assembly Party: 372

Adam Hill - Reform UK: 6,567

Fay Jones - Conservative: 12,264

Ammi Kaur-Dhaliwal - Green Party: 1,188

Lady Lily the Pink - Official Monster Raving Loony Party: 237