Labour boost majority in the council elections
LABOUR increased its majority on Rhondda Cynon Taf Council following the local elections.
They won 59 of the 75 seats available following the vote on Thursday, May 5. Plaid Cymru won eight seats, the independents won six seats and the Conservatives won two.
In total, there were 36 new councillors elected, including 27 from Labour, five from Plaid Cymru, three independents and one Conservative.
In terms of the political map of RCT, Labour has representation all over the county borough.
Plaid Cymru’s eight seats are spread out including right at the top of the Cynon Valley in the Hirwaun, Penderyn and Rhigos ward, in Treorchy in the Rhondda as well as in Ynysybwl, Cilfynydd, Tonyrefail East and in Pontypridd Town.
The six independents are also spread out across RCT ranging from Treherbert in the Rhondda to Pontyclun East, Pontyclun West and Brynna and Llanharan.
They’ve also got representation in Trallwng and Hawthorn and Lower Rhydfelen in the Pontypridd area.
The Conservatives’ two seats are both in the south of the county borough and also both in Llantwit Fardre.
One of the big stories of the night was the leader of Plaid Cymru on the council, Pauline Jarman, losing her seat in Mountain Ash as Labour’s Andrew Morgan and Wendy Treeby were elected.
Other councillors who lost their seats included independent Stephen Belzak in Cilfynydd, independent Phil Howe in Ferndale and Maerdy, independent Kate Libby Jones in Llantrisant and Talbot Green (previously a Pontyclun councillor), Josh Davies of Plaid Cymru in Penygraig, Lewis Hooper of the Conservatives in Pontyclun East (previously a Tonteg councillor), Alun Cox and Julie Williams both of Plaid Cymru in Porth, Emyr Webster of Plaid Cymru in Treorchy, Mark Adams of Labour in Ynysybwl (previously a Tylorstown councillor) and Larraine Jones of Plaid Cymru in Ystrad.
Andrew Morgan has been reelected by the Labour group as their leader and will head into the council’s AGM on Wednesday, May 25 as the party’s nomination for leader of the council.