Mia Rees wins council by-election
CONSERVATIVE candidate Mia Rees has been elected to Cardiff council after winning the Whitchurch and Tongwynlais by-election with 36% of the vote on Thursday.
The result means the Conservatives have held onto the seat, with 1,544 votes, with the by-election being held following the death of Timothy Davies.
Labour candidate Marc Palmer received 28% of the vote share, with 1,190 votes cast, Plaid Cymru’s Dan Allsobrook received 16% with 674 votes, Lib Dem candidate Sian Anne Donne had 14% of the vote with 588 votes cast, while Green Party candidate David Peter Griffin received 6% of the voting share with 248 votes.
A total of 4,244 votes were cast for the seat, with the electorate in the ward being 12,589. Some 2,494 postal votes were sent.
A total of nine by-election papers were rejected due to being unmarked or being voided for uncertainty.
Speaking after the result, Cllr Rees said: “I am delighted that the people of Whitchurch and Tongwynlais responded so well to a positive campaign focused on local issues.
“It’s an honour to follow in the late Councillor Tim Davies’ footsteps, who was such a dedicated servant to the city.
“I am looking forward to working with the fantastic Whitchurch and Tongwynlais team and making the area even better.”
The newly elected councillor works for a charity which supports young people into education, training and employment, something she credits with having developed an interest in youth and housing policy.
In the run-up to the by-election, the Conservative councillor said: “I love where I live and I want to be part of making it even better.
“Most of the issues which frustrate residents can be improved and I’m determined to make that happen.”