The leader of Powys County Council said she hopes that whoever the new MP is, they will be happy to work with her and Powys County Council.

Rosemarie Harris, the leader of Powys County Council, said she believes the results are going to be close.

The independent leader of Powys council said: “It’s a pity that’s we’re in this position, there’s a lot to think about as a country at the moment.

“I hope that whoever gets in as MP will be happy to work with me and the county council. We need representation here, we’re a rural area and money is tight so we do need that representation.

“Powys, the Welsh Government and Parliament, it’s important the three teams should be working together to get the best result.”

Cllr Harris attended the counting centre with the chair of Powys council, Beverley Baynham and the former Powys chair David Meredith.

Cllr Baynham has said she is “really excited” to be at the count for the Brecon and Radnorshire by-election.

She said: “It’s really exciting. I’m really quite excited. As an independent, for me it’s really exciting and interesting to see who is here and becomes the next MP.

“I couldn’t predict it at the moment, but it is exciting. There’s a lot of national media here and the world really is watching us.

“It’s good – for weeks I hadn’t realised just how big this is, that it’s not just important to Brecon and Radnorshire but on a national scale.”