Tory James Evans wins Brecon and Radnorshire seat as Lib Dem vote collapses

Conservative candidate James Evans has claimed the Brecon and Radnorshire constituency with a massive swing from the Lib Dems which saw its vote collapse in the area.

With a turn out of 57 percent, front-runner Mr Evans won 39 percent of the vote to claim the seat, which has been held by retiring member Kirsty Williams since 1999.Speaking to the BBC following the declaration Mr Evans said he was overwhelmed at the result, adding that the Lib Dem party was 'finished' in Brecon and Radnorshire.He said that his main priority was to get to the Senedd and begin working to support the agricultural community by campaigning to overturn the deeply unpopular NVZ policy and to bring additional support to the Mid Wales tourist and hospitality industries.A bad day for the Lib Dems A bad day has got worse for the Liberal Democrats who have lost their last outpost in Wales with their hopes of having any representation in the Senedd now lying with the regional list writes BBC local democracy reporter Elgan Hearn. The majority of 8,170 that former MS Kirsty Williams held at the last election was overhauled and turned into a majority of 3,820 for Mr Evans who paid tribute to Ms Williams for her service to the constituency, which “must be appreciated.”“This is the biggest honour of my life, being able to represent my home, representing communities right across Brecon and Radnorshire is truly humbling,” said Mr Evans. “Thank you for putting your faith in me to be your next Senedd member for the next five years.Mentioning William Powell’s brush with death last year, due to Covid-19, he paid tribute to his opponent.“I’d like to thank the other candidates especially William, who is very lucky to be here and I wish you all the best for the future.“Today the people pressed the reset button, they wanted a fresh start in Brecon and Radnorshire, they wanted a new voice to represent them.“I will fight tooth and nail for Brecon and Radnorshire, thank you for putting your trust in me, and now let’s get on with the job.”Liberal Democrat, William Powell, told his fellow members despite the setback, things looked bright for next year’s local elections.Mr Powell, said: “This is a time of challenge for the Welsh Liberal Democrats, I’ve heard the phrase the term existential threat used.“But I must say, on this day last year I left hospital after six weeks of significant ill health, with covid and related matters and I tell you this is not an existential threat.“We have a very strong base on which to build in terms of the 2022 Powys Council elections, evidence of very strong and growing support in the wards that we hold and we aspire to hold, but that’s for another day.”He added that as part of his recovery he had completed his first post election 5km and felt “much better for it.”Labour’s Gethin Jones, said: “I want to thank everyone in my campaign team, especially people in Ystrad and Brecon that have worked so hard for years to get us to a place to do this.“Thanks to all in Brecon and Radnorshire who have been so welcoming and kind to me and especially all my opponents, it’s been a fantastic experience for me.”Full results

Emily Durrant - 1,556

James Evans - 12,741

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