Nigel Farage's Reform UK wins another council by-election in Wales
Nigel Farage's Reform UK has had another night of success in council elections
Reform UK recently announced it had its first Senedd member after former Tory MS Laura Anne Jones defected to the party
(Image: Getty Images)
Another Reform UK candidate has won a local authority by-election in Wales. Nigel Farage's party has its second councillor in Carmarthenshire after Carmelo Colasanto comfortably beat Plaid Cymru and Welsh Labour to win a seat on the council.
The election for the Llangennech seat on Carmarthenshire County Council was held on Thursday, August 6, following the death of "much-loved" Labour councillor Gary Jones. The result comes weeks after Senedd member for South East Wales, Laura Anne Jones, announced she was defecting from the Tories to Reform at the Royal Welsh Show, making her the Senedd's first Reform MS.
The Reform win marks the fourth time the party's candidate has won an election in Wales. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here
Celebrating the victory, Torfaen county councillor David Thomas, who switched from independent to Reform last year, said the by-election was "proof that people are ready for real change".
Posting on X, he said: "WE DID IT! A massive congratulations to Councillor Carmelo Colasanto, newly elected in Llangennech & Bryn Ward for Carmarthenshire County Council!
"This is a huge win for Reform UK Wales — proof that people are ready for real change, and that Labour's grip is slipping. Well done Carmelo, the team, and every single volunteer who made this possible.
"The tide is turning — and this is just the beginning. Reform is rising across Wales."
It is also being reported that there was more success for the party overnight, with Reform stating that candidate Martin John Stevens was elected as the new community councillor for Goytre ward in Monmouthshire.
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There are also four Reform councillors in Powys and three representatives in Torfaen who either defected from other parties or were previously independent.
The full results of the Llangennech ward by-election are as follows:
Carmelo Colasanto - Reform UK – 694
Richard Talog Jones – Plaid Cymru, The Party of Wales - 489
Jordan Sargent - Welsh Labour – 380
Justin Griffiths - Welsh Liberal Democrats - 26
Edward Evans - Welsh Conservative - 14
Wayne Erasmus - Gwlad - 6
The turnout was 39.37%.
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We will update this story with the official Goytre ward results when we get them.
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He wants to return to the days of open community meetings where local people could speak directly to officers to give them their priorities, rather than senior officers taking their cue from 'community leaders' who all too often have an agenda that does not reflect the true wishes of the local population. 'It's about re-engagement with ordinary people,' he says. 'Saying, what do you actually want us to be doing? If you'd rather us be looking through Twitter and looking at things that may be offensive, then we'll do that. But if you'd actually rather we were there to respond to you when your house gets broken into and would investigate the crime, or patrolling down your street to make you feel safer, then tell us and we'll do what you want us to do, because it should be policing of the people, by the people.' 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