BRECON and Radnorshire’s new MP Jane Dodds has been embraced by party leader Jo Swinson and supporters in Brecon at a celebration to mark victory in yesterday’s by-election.

The Lib Dems overturned an 8,000 Conservative majority to take the seat which became vacant following Chris Davies conviction for false expenses claims which landed him with a £1,500 fine a 50 hours of unpaid work he must complete.

But despite the criminal conviction Mr Davies finished just 1,425 votes short of Ms Dodds’ total of 13,826 in a vote that went right to the wire.

New Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government’s working Commons has been reduced to just one as a result of the by-election.

At the celebratory event this morning at the Castle Hotel in Brecon supporters greeted 55-year-old child protection social worker Ms Dodds and party leader Jo Swinson who had visited Brecon to rally activists just a week before polling day.

Victory means the Lib Dems have now regained a foothold in Welsh Westminster politics having lost Brecon and Radnorshire and Cardiff Central in 2015 and what was their last remaining Welsh seat, Ceredigion, in 2017. The Lib Dems

Ms Dodds is the leader of the Welsh Lib Dems and sought to draw comparisons with the famous Liberal/SDP Alliance victory for Richard Livsey in the July 1985 by-election which helped rebuild the Liberal Party in Wales.

She said: "34 years ago last month, Richard Livsey’s victory in a by-election here sparked a Liberal revival across Wales and the UK. And today, we’ve done it again.

"I am incredibly humbled by the support. From every walk of life and every political persuasion, people have chosen to believe in my positive liberal vision for something better.

"And by backing that liberal vision, people in Brecon and Radnorshire have sent a powerful message to Westminster; we demand better.

"This victory must be a turning point, not just for our communities here in Brecon and Radnorshire, but for the whole country too.

"People are desperately crying out for a different kind of politics.

"There is no time for tribalism when our country is faced with a Boris Johnson government and the threat of a no-deal Brexit.

"My very first act as your MP when I arrive in Westminster will be to find Boris Johnson, wherever he’s hiding, and tell him loud and clear - stop playing with the futures of our communities and rule out a no-deal Brexit."

Speaking at the event Ms Dodds said her victory meant a "no-deal Brexit is not acceptable".

Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson thanked Plaid Cymru and the Green Party for standing aside to support the Lib Dems as a ’remain’ party.

Despite the victory for the Lib Dems the combined vote of the Conservatives and Brexit Party, which have both said they would accept a no-deal Brexit, outweighed Ms Dodds’ winning total.

Ms Swinson said: "The Liberal Democrats are winning again, and this latest victory gives hope for a better future for Britain. The people of Brecon and Radnorshire have shown that the country doesn’t have to settle for Boris Johnson or Jeremy Corbyn.

“Boris Johnson’s shrinking majority makes it clear that he has no mandate to crash us out of the EU. As Leader of the Liberal Democrats, I will do whatever it takes to stop Brexit and offer an alternative, positive vision for a richer, greener and safer future. Britain demands better than what the tired old parties can give.

“Jane Dodds will be a fantastic MP, and will campaign tirelessly for a better deal for rural communities, after years of neglect by the Conservatives.”

“We are thankful to Plaid Cymru and the Green Party for putting the national interest first and not contesting this by-election. We now have one more MP who will vote against Brexit in Parliament.”

Conservative party chairman James Cleverly said "Chris was a hard working local boy, he got a good result. That constituency voted leave and now have a Lib Dem MP who will do everything she can to try and frustrate Brexit."