Parties in Brecon and Radnorshire are gearing up for another election battle only months after current MP Jane Dodds was elected.

Last night MPs backed a general election in the House of Commons which will take place on Thursday, December 12.

Liberal Democrat Ms Dodds said she is looking forward to the general election on December 12.

The leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats said: “This election is a real chance for voters to change the future of our country by voting out this Conservative Government and returning a strong team of Welsh Liberal Democrat MPs to fight for change.

“By doing this, we can choose to reject the politics of fear and division and reshape our country to be open, tolerant and outward looking – as members of both the UK and the EU.

“The Liberal Democrats have been going from strength to strength across the UK and I look forward to setting out our positive and optimistic vision of the future here in Wales.”

Ms Dodds, along with the other 18 Lib Dem MPs, was one of 191 MPs who abstained from the vote which saw 438 MPs vote in favour of a general election on December 12, compared to 20 against.

However Ms Dodds also joined all of the other Lib Dem MPs in voting for a general election on December 9 – a vote which was defeated 315-295 in the Commons yesterday.

Ms Dodds said: “I did vote for a general election last night, just not one on the Prime Minister’s terms.

“The Liberal Democrats put forward a motion, alongside the SNP, to have an election on December 9.

“This, if passed, would have ensured the PM could not bring back his rejected deal and try to railroad it through Parliament again before it dissolved for an election.

“However, MPs rejected this proposal, instead voting for an election on December 12. That is why I abstained as I am not opposed to an election, but I wanted a different date.”

Ms Dodds was announced as the Brecon and Radnorshire MP following the constituency’s by-election on Friday, August 2 with 13,826 votes – followed closely by former Conservative MP Chris Davies with 12,401.

If Ms Dodds loses her seat in the general election, she will be the shortest serving MP in over 20 years after 132 days.

Despite receiving backing from MPs, the general election bill still needs to be debated by the House of Lords before it can become law and it needs to receive the Royal Assent by the Queen - which is expected to happen tomorrow.

Conservative candidate Fay Jones said she is excited for the general election in December which she said is “what the country needs”.

She said: “I’m excited about it. It’s what the country needs – we need a new Parliament and a new MP.

“I also love Christmas and it will be great to be out and talking to everyone in the area at this time of year.”

Ms Jones, who used to work for Prince Charles and was selected as the Conservative candidate earlier this month, said she is confident for the general election.

She said: “We’ve been out today talking to people and we’ve had a really positive response.

“People have told me that they do want an election, a new Government, a new MP – it’s been great.

“A lot of people are disappointed with how Brexit has been handled and a lot of people have said to me they are fed up of talking about it.

“I’ve been getting a lot of people who are telling me ‘just get on with it’.”

Ms Jones said that while she knows Brexit will form part of the reason that people vote, she’s hoping to remind people of other goals set out by the Conservative party in the Queen’s speech.

She said: “I want to look at issues like broadband because we need better broadband across mid Wales and more mobile phone coverage. I also want to look at education services delivered by Powys County Council.”

Ms Jones, who said she is “full of energy” for the coming months, is one of three woman selected by the party in Wales which has never returned a female in MP in a Welsh seat.

Welsh Labour candidate Tom Davis said the general election is a time for “real change”.

He said: “We (Labour) have consistently said that once no deal was off the table, we would back a general election – we want the country rid of this Conservative Government.

“This Government has caused more of our children to be in poverty, more pensioners to be in poverty and more people in work to be in poverty, more families to be without a home and more people to sleep rough on our streets.

“The Tories have cut and sold off more of our public services than ever before, while the rich elite line their pockets. 

“Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal is forecast to cost the UK £72billion, and is preparing to sell off the NHS to Donald Trump. 

“It is time for real change.”

Mr Davies, who also ran in the Brecon and Radnorshire by-election in August, said he feels the country cannot cope with fire more years of Conservative austerity.

He said: “Labour will give our public services the funding they need and end privatisation; stop the grotesque levels of inequality and poverty in our country; rebuild an economy for every region and nation of the UK; get Brexit sorted by giving people the final say; and tackle the climate emergency with a Green Industrial Revolution. 

“We cannot cope with five more years of Tory austerity, economic stagnation and their absolute disregard for ordinary people. It is time for real change in this country and only Labour can deliver that change.”

The deadline to register to vote before the December general election is likely to at midnight on Tuesday, November 26 – 5pm on Wednesday, November 27 for postal votes and Wednesday, December 4 for proxy votes.

Visit the UK Government website by clicking here to register vote and to check that you are eligible.