LibDems win Llay seat on Wrexham Council

It as a good start for new Lib Dem leader Tim Farron when his party gained a number of seats in By-elections

Here Rob Walsh last night won the Llay seat on Wrexham Council, where voters previously returned a Labour candidate moving it to Liberal Democrat control.

Mr Walsh name might well have already  been familiar to Llay voters as he recently stood for athe parliamentary seat, with 1,735 votes across Wrexham which was a 20% drop in the Lib Dem vote.

The seat previously held by an Independent who waselected as a Labour candidate. The change occurred when ten Labour councillors resigned from Labour and became Independents back in September.

July 16, 2015

LD Rob Walsh 700 [52.2%; +52.2%]
Labour 353 [26.3%; -34.6%]
Independent 124 [9.2%; +9.2%]
Conservative 64 [4.8%; +4.8%]
UKIP 60 [4.5%; +4.5%]
Independent 41 [3.1%; +3.1%]
[Previous Independent [0.0%; -39.1%]

Majority: 347

LD gain from Labour

Mr Walsh also won one of the two community council seats contested the same day

Whether this a reflection of a turn of fortune for the LibDEms after a few years of bad  results or a reflection of Labours problems after10 councillors including the late member for Llay defected remains to be seem.

But not a bad start for their new leader

The Other Election in Wales was Prestatyn East on Denbighsire which was vacated after James Davies won the Palimentry seat of the Sale of Clwyd which they retained easily


Conservative 528 [50.9%; +17.3%]

Labour 373 [36%; +12.6%]
Independent 76 [7.3%; +7.3%]
Plaid Cymru 60 [5.8%; +5.8%]
[Green [0.0%; -3.2%]
[Previous Indepedents [0.0%; -39.8%]]
Majority: 155
Conservative Hold
Percentage change since 2012