Labour loses safest seat in Wales
Labour has lost its safest seat in Wales after an independent defeated the party’s official candidate in Blaenau Gwent.
Former Labour Welsh Assembly member Peter Law chose to stand against the official Labour candidate, Maggie Jones, after an internal row prompted him to leave the party.
In total, Labour lost five seats in Wales with Cardiff Central going to the Liberal Democrats, and the Conservatives taking Monmouth, Preseli Pembrokeshire and Clwyd West.
Plaid Cymru endured a disappointing night, losing Ceredigion – held by Simon Thomas – to the Liberal Democrats, and failing to take their top target seat Ynys Mon.
But events in Blaenau Gwent provided the nights biggest shock. Mr Law took 20,505 votes to Ms Jones’ 11,384.
He resigned the Labour whip in the Welsh Assembly in protest at the use of all-woman shortlists to select Labour’s candidate.
Speaking after the result, Mr Law said: “This is a very good moment…and this is what you get when you don’t listen to the people.”
He said he was “very proud and very humble” and the result showed that “we are not here to be manipulated and told what to do”.
Despite this blow, Labour comfortably remains the largest party in Wales with 29 seats, compared to the Liberal Democrats on four, and the Conservatives and Plaid Cymru on three.
Plaid Cymru’s parliamentary leader Elfyn Llwyd said it had been a “challenging” election, and blamed the failure to win Ynys Mon on an independent candidate.
“Clearly Labour won Ynys Mon thanks to Peter Rogers, the independent candidate. The people of Ynys Mon were made to believe that he was in with a chance of winning but all he succeeded in doing in fact was to ensure the people of Ynys Mon are subjected to four more years of New Labour,” he said.
He added: “I am personally saddened that Simon Thomas will not be returning as the MP for Ceredigion. I have witnessed first hand the impact he made in Westminster politics and the strong voice he gave for Ceredigion. I am confident that he will be back.”
