Control of council in balance as Labour see 18 seats go
LABOUR has lost its grip on Neath Port Talbot.
The party’s share of the vote dramatically reduced, with the party falling from 43 seats to just 25.
Although Labour remains the party with the highest number of representatives, Plaid now has 12 representatives and the number of independents is 16 – up from just five in 2017.
If the two groups were to agree an alliance, it would mean Labour would lose control of the authority.
There are two outstanding seats to be decided later this month. It follows the postponement of the election in Port Talbot ward, following the death of independent candidate Andrew Tutton during election campaigning.
Meanwhile, the Green Party has their very first Neath Port Talbot councillor, following the success of candidate Nathan Goldup-john in Coedffranc Central.
And the Lib Dems have also improved on their vote. They had a single councillor in 2017, and now they have two, Ceri Phillips and Helen Clarke who took two seats in Coedffranc West.
NPT’S deputy leader Leanne Jones was re-elected to Resolven and Tonna. She received 914 votes.
She will be joined representing the ward by independent Dean Lewis, who received 842.
NPT Leader Ted Latham was also returned in Sandfields East. Early results declared included:
Aberavon, where Stephanie Lynch (Lab) and Andrew Dacey (Plaid Cymru) were returned.
Aberdulais, where Caroline Challinor Lewis (Independent) was elected.
Alltwen, where Nia Jenkins (Plaid Cymru) was elected.
Baglan, where Peter Denis Richards, Carol Clement-williams and Susanne Renkes were all returned for Labour.
Briton Ferry West, where Kirsty
Lousie Morris (Independent) was elected.
Bryn and Cwmavon, where Charlotte Galsworthy, Rhidian Mizen and Dave Whitelock were all returned for Labour.
Bryncoch North, where Wyndham Fryer Griffiths (Plaid Cymru) was returned.
Bryncoch South, where Christopher Peter Williams and Jo Hale were returned for Plaid Cymru.
Cadoxton, where Phil Rogers (Independent) was returned.
Coedffranc Central, where Nathan Goldup-john (Green) and Angharad Rebecca Aubrey (Labour) were returned.
Cwmllynfell and Ystalyfera, where Alun Llewellyn (Plaid Cymru) and Cathy James (Labour) were returned.
Cymmer and Glyncorrwg, where Jeff Jones (Independent) was elected.
Glynneath Central and East, where Simon Anthony Knoyle (Independent) was elected.
Godre’rgraig, where Rosalyn Davies, (Plaid Cymru) was elected.
Gwaun-cae-gurwen and Lower Brynamman, where Sonia Reynolds and Sarah Amber Thomas were returned for Labour.
Gwynfi and Croeserw, where Scott Jones (Independent) was elected.
Margam and Taibach, where Rob Jones, Laura Williams and Dennis Keogh were returned for Labour.
Neath East, where Dan Thomas (Plaid Cymru), Sheila Penry (Labour) and Wayne Carpenter (Indpendent) were returned.
Neath North, where Alan Lockyer (Labour) and Andrew Wyn Lodwig (Independent) were returned.
Neath South, where Carl Jordan (Independent) and Peter Rees (Labour) were returned.
Pontardawe, where Anthony John Richards and Charles Heath Davies were returned for Plaid Cymru.
Resolven and Tonna, where Leanne Claire Jones (Labour) and Dean Lewis (Independent) were returned.
Rhos, where Marcia Spooner (Plaid Cymru) was elected.