Shock Plaid Victory in Rheidol By-Election

Aled Davies has won the Rheidol Ward County Council By-election for Plaid Cymru. The shock victory by 19 votes over the Lib Dems in what was previously their third safest seat in Ceredigion will stun the Council's ruling Lib Dem/Independent Coalition who now only hold the Council by a narrow 22-20 margin. The full result is as follows:

Aled Davies (Plaid Cymru) 271

Alec Dauncey (Dem Rhyd/Lib Dem) 252

Carol Kolczac (Ann/Ind) 98

Richard Boudier (Llafur/Labour) 36

Luke Evetts (Ceid/Con) 17

The by-election was called after the forced resignation of the former Lib Dem councillor Eric Griffiths. The favourite to win the seat for the Lib Dems, town mayor Lorrae Jones-Southgate, then resigned both as mayor and town councillor after failing to win the nomination as Lib Dem candidate. Eric Griffiths had won the seat by a majority of 293 over Plaid at the County Council elections in May. Plaid Cymru now hold three of the six County Council seats in Aberystwyth with the Lib Dems holding two and the Independents one.

Aled is a Town Councillor and former town mayor who has twice narrowly failed to win a county council seat in North ward. He has a reputation as a hard and conscientious worker and will undoubtedly give a good service to the people of Rheidol ward.