Keyte claims victory
A REFORM UK candidate has won a council seat in Wales for the first time, securing a decisive victory over Labour in the Trevethin and Penygarn by-election.
Stuart Keyte, representing Reform UK, took the seat on Torfaen Borough Council with 457 votes, defeating Labour’s Toniann Phillips by nearly 200 votes. The by-election was triggered by the resignation of a Labour councillor.
Labour retains control of the council with a majority of 12, but Reform UK now holds four seats. The other Reform councillors had previously been independents before forming the party’s first Welsh council group last summer.
By-election results:
- Stuart Keyte (Reform UK): 457 votes
- Toniann Phillips (Labour): 259 votes
- Catherine Howells (Independent): 117 votes
- Louise Sheppard (Independent): 114 votes
- Tony Clark (Plaid Cymru): 25 votes
- Turnout: 24.7% (1 spoilt ballot)
A Reform UK spokesperson hailed the result as a “significant breakthrough” for the party ahead of next year’s Senedd elections, stating: “Labour has taken Wales for granted for too long. People want real change, and Reform UK is proving on the ground that we are the alternative.”
Keyte expressed his gratitude to voters, saying: “I am truly honoured and humbled by the faith the people of Trevethin and Penygarn have placed in me tonight. This is a strong community full of good people, but like so many across the valleys of South Wales, we have been let down for far too long by a tired and out-of-touch Labour government.
“Enough is enough. For too long, people here have been left without a voice. That changes right now.”
Councillor David Thomas, Reform UK Group Leader in Torfaen, welcomed Keyte to the party’s growing team, stating: “Stuart has proven himself to the people of Trevethin and Penygarn, and the result reflects that. As Group Leader for Reform UK in Torfaen, it’s a real honour to welcome our newest councillor.”
