Seven wards uncontested for elections

Despite a huge push from Powys County Council to encourage candidates to come forward for their elections next month, seven wards, including one in Welshpool, will be uncontested.

Analysis of the candidate list released yesterday shows that local wards including Welshpool Llanerchyddol, Llansantffriad, Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant/Llansilin, Newtown East and Llandinam with Dolfor will join Glantwymyn and Hay in not requiring an election after just one name was nominated for each.

It means that councillors such as Graham Breeze (Welshpool Llanerchyddol) and Joy Jones (Newtown East) are guaranteed their positions on the council for the next five years.

Other prominent local wards like Guilsfield will have just two people contesting the seat as the council revealed a total of 180 candidates had been put forward.

The lack of interest will disappoint many considering the controversial decisions that have impacted local services in recent years. But it is down from 16 uncontested wards in 2017.

In recent months, the Independent/Conservative coalition that ruled the roost in Powys for the last five years became a minority administration due to numerous councillors leaving both groups for various issues.

Powys residents will go to the polls on Thursday, May 5, to vote for the people they wish to represent them on the county council and their local town and community councils.

Local government elections are held every five years and provide people with an opportunity to influence who controls the council and the direction of council policies and spending.

Following a review by the Local Government Boundary Commission for Wales there are 60 electoral wards in Powys and the number of councillors that will be elected to Powys County Council will be 68 – 52 wards will have one councillor representing them, whilst eight wards will elect two councillors each. 

Anyone aged 16 and over can vote, provided they are eligible and have registered to vote by midnight on April 14. You can register online atwww.gov.uk/register-to-vote.

People can choose to vote in a number of ways – in person, by post or by appointing someone they trust to vote in their place, known as a proxy vote.

The deadline to apply for a postal vote is 5pm on April 19, and for a proxy vote the deadline is 5pm on April 26.

Wards in Montgomeryshire:

Banwy, Llanfihangel and Llanwddyn – 1

Myfanwy Catherine Alexander – Independent

Bryn Davies – Plaid Cymru – The Party of Wales

Emyr Jones – Independent

Berriew and Castle Caereinion – 1

Dai Davies – Independent

Richard John Derricutt – Welsh Liberal Democrat

Adrian Jones – Welsh Conservative

Caersws – 1

Leslie Albert George – Welsh Conservative

Mik Norman – Green Party

Churchstoke- 1

Danny Bebb – Welsh Liberal Democrats

Michael John Jones – Independent

Rachel Louise Jones – Welsh Conservative

Dolforwyn – 1

Alan Meredith-Jones – Welsh Liberal Democrat

Gareth Michael Pugh – Welsh Conservative

Forden and Montgomery –  1

Rob Harper – Independent

Maurice Jones – Welsh Conservative

Oliver Lewis – Independent

Jeremy David Thorp – Green Party

Glantwymyn – 1

Elwyn Vaughan – Plaid Cymru – The Party of Wales

Guilsfield-  1

Ian Harrison – Welsh Conservative

Ewan Robert Smout – Welsh Liberal Democrat

Llanbrynmair – 1

Robert Jenkins – Welsh Conservative

Gary Mitchel – Plaid Cymru – The Party of Wales

Sarah Helen Reast – Independent

Philip Smith – Independent

Llandinam with Dolfor – 1

Karl Lewis – Welsh Conservative

Llandrinio – 1

David Markinson – Independent

Lucy Margaret Roberts – Welsh Conservative

Llandysilio – 1

Evan Arwel Jones – Independent

Bill Lee – Independent

Llanfair Caereinion and Llanerfyl – 1

Gareth Jones – Independent

Paul Wixey – Welsh Labour

Llanfyllin – 1

Alison Alexander – Welsh Liberal Democrat

Peter Edward Lewis – Welsh Conservative

David Weston – Plaid Cymru – The Party of Wales

Llangyniew and Meifod  – 1

Jane Louise Carrington – Plaid Cymru – The Party of Wales

Ben Gwalchmai – Welsh Labour

Sally Markinson – Independent

Jonathan Wilkinson – Welsh Conservative

Llanidloes – 2

Zoe Allan – Welsh Labour

Victoria Chapman – Plaid Cymru – The Party of Wales

Graham Davies – Plaid Cymru – The Party of Wales

Phyl Davies – Welsh Conservative

John Raymond Dore – left blank

Graham Maurice Jones – Independent

Gareth Morgan – Welsh Liberal Democrat

Glyn Preston – Welsh Liberal Democrat

David Williams – Green Party

Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant and Llansilin – 1

Aled Davies – Welsh Conservative

Llansantffraid – 1

Gwynfor Thomas – Welsh Conservative

Kerry – 1 

Benjamin Breeze – Welsh Conservative

Kath Roberts-Jones – Independent

Newtown Central and South – 2

Darryl Gwilt – Welsh Conservative

Kelly Healy – Welsh Liberal Democrat

Paul George Sawtell – Welsh Conservative

David Mark Selby – Welsh Liberal Democrat

Les Skilton – Independent

Newtown East – 1

Joy Jones – Independent

Newtown North –  1

Adam Dale Kennerley – Welsh Liberal Demcrat

Jackie Molloy-Davies – Independent

Dan Rowlands – Welsh Conservative

Newtown West – 1

Gill Bridgwater – Independent

Peter Arthur Lewington – Welsh Conservative

Harry Robson – Welsh Liberal Democrat

Gillian Thurston – Plaid Cymru – The Party of Wales

Machynlleth – 1

Alwyn Evans – Plaid Cymru – The Party of Wales

Mike Williams – Independent

Robert George Williams – Independent

Rhiwcynon – 1

Linda Christine Bennett – Independent

Heulwen Doreen Hulme – Independent

Ann Jones – Plaid Cymru – The Party of Wales

Julie Eve Moore – Freedom Alliance Supporting Medical Freedom

Trelystan and Trewern – 1

Amanda Jenner – Welsh Conservative

Tim Saul – Welsh Liberal Democrat

Welshpool Castle – 1

Richard Wilfrid Church – Welsh Liberal Democrat

Olly Edwards – Welsh Conservative

Ian Parry – Welsh Labour

Phil Pritchard – Independent

Welshpool Gungrog – 1

Ruth Canning – Welsh Conservative

Luke Harpert – Plaid Cymru – The Party of Wales

Carol Elaine Robinson – Welsh Liberal Democrat

Welshpool Llanerchyddol – 1

Graham Breeze - Independent