Close contests expected across county borough
A NUMBER of wards across Neath Port Talbot are predicted to go down to the wire in this week’s local government elections.
With 34 candidates running for seats on Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council on Thursday, Plaid Cymru is the party mounting the biggest challenge to Labour, who have 49 candidates this year.
Also looking to unsettle Labour’s 26-year dominance in the county borough – they have won a majority in every local government election since the council’s foundation in 1996 – are the Independents, who have 32 candidates running.
Aberavon: A key priority for Plaid Cymru will be retaining their seats in Aberavon, a ward where they held overall control before the 2022 local election period. The ward will be represented by two councillors instead of three this year after a revision of the ward boundaries.
Stephanie Lynch won the Aberavon by-election, which took place in May last year after the death of Labour councillor Steffan ap Dafydd, by 677 votes (39%).
The Plaid candidate who will be looking to retain their seat alongside Stephanie will be Nigel Thomas Hunt. Having been defeated in the last by-election, Andrew Dacey is making a second attempt for a place on the council and will be the other Plaid candidate in Aberavon.
Other candidates include Dean Thomas for Labour, Ieuan Bounds for the Welsh Conservatives and Independent Ceri Golding.
Margam and Taibach: Following ward boundary changes, Margam and Taibach are two of the electoral divisions that have amalgamated into one, with three seats available.
Two Labour Taibach councillors, Anthony J Taylor and Rachel Taylor, have decided not to run for re-election this year. There were no Plaid Cymru candidates running in either ward in the last local government elections.
Although Labour won relatively comfortably in both Taibach and Margam in 2017, they are expected to have more of a fight on their hands this year with an equal number of Plaid candidates coming up against them. The three Labour candidates – Laura Williams, Dennis Keough and Rob Jones – will be up against Wayne White, Stephen Bevan and John Deere of Plaid.
Labour have the greater experience here, with Dennis Keough and Rob Jones looking for re-election to the council. Conservative candidate Anthony O’shea and Independent John Bamsey will also be running for seats in the ward.
Neath: Some Plaid figures, including group leader at the council before the 2022 election period, Alun Llewelyn, would see holding their gains in the Swansea Valley as a success, especially with Pontardawe councillor Linet Purcell deciding not to run for re-election. However, Neath is one place where the party is looking to make some gains.
Neath North and Neath East were held fairly comfortably by Labour in the 2017 elections. Neath South saw a Plaid Cymru gain, with Jamie Evans topping the polls there ahead of Peter Rees and Andrew Jenkins.
This year, both Plaid and Labour have matched up with an equal number of candidates in Neath South and East. Jonnie Fishlock and Poppy Lloyd for Plaid will be up against the experienced Peter Rees and Rose Widlake for Labour in Neath South.
Two Independent candidates, Carl Jordan and Adam Mcgrath, will also be running for election in the ward.
In Neath East, Plaid’s Dan
Thomas, Brendan Maccathail and Joshua Cooze will be up against John Miller, Sandra Miller and Sheila Penry for Labour.
Joining them in the race for the three available seats is Independent candidate Wayne Carpenter.
Briton Ferry: Described as a “toxic battleground”, it is predicted Briton Ferry could go either way in these elections, with one Labour, Plaid and Independent candidate running in both wards – Briton Ferry East and Briton Ferry West.
Three councillors running in Briton Ferry – Independent Chris James, and Plaid candidates Lindsay Barnett and Delyth Barnett – are Labour defectors. Lindsay and Chris will be coming up against Labour’s Gareth Rice in Briton Ferry East.
Delyth Barnett will be fighting Sarah Davies of Labour and Independent Louise Morris for the single seat in Briton Ferry West.