Llantwit First Independents

Llantwit First Independents (Welsh: Annibynwyr Cyntaf Llantwit) are a political party created in 2004 who stand candidates for election in the town of Llantwit Major, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. Their elected councillors sit on Llantwit Major Town Council and represent the Llantwit Major ward on the Vale of Glamorgan Council.

Llantwit First Independents

Annibynwyr Cyntaf Llantwit
LeaderGwyn John [1]
Founded19 March 2007 (2007-03-19)
HeadquartersLlantwit Major
Ideology
Website
www.facebook.com/LlantwitFirst/

Llantwit First Independents were registered as a political party on 19 March 2007[2] and re-registered in March 2017.[3]

Town Council

Llantwit First Independents councillors have been elected to Llantwit Major town council, though in July 2008 the Llantwit First town mayor, Molly Lane and her husband, Councillor David Lane, resigned from the group to join the Conservative Party, citing disagreements on a number of issues.[4]

The Llantwit First Independents have had a power struggle with the Conservative Party on the town council, with the Independents having a very small majority.[5] However, in May 2017 they won 12 of the 14 town council seats.[6]

County Council

Following the 2004 Vale of Glamorgan Council election the Llantwit Major ward was represented by three Independent county councillors and one Conservative.[7] At the 2008 Vale of Glamorgan Council election the Independent councillors in the ward stood under the Llantwit First Independents banner, retaining the three independent seats.[7]

At the 2012 county council election Llantwit First Independents won all four Llantwit Major seats.[8] The Labour Party became the largest party on the county council but did not have a majority, so governed for the next five years in coalition with the Llantwit First Independents.[9][10] Llantwit councillor Eric Hacker was elected mayor of the Vale of Glamorgan for 12 months, from 23 May 2012.[11] Llantwit councillor Eddie Williams became deputy mayor of the county in May 2016.[10]

A by-election took place on 26 March 2015 following the death of Llantwit First councillor, Keith Geary.[12] The seat was regained by the Conservatives.[13] At the May 2017 county council election Llantwit First Independents won all four Llanwit Major seats, including one lost at the by-election. They claimed that their previous coalition with Labour had benefited Llanwit Major with funding for local school and library investment.[6] However, the 2017 election had restored the Conservative Party as the largest council group, and a coalition with two Sully independent councillors was likely.[14]

On 24 May 2019 the four Llantwit First councillors joined a new governing coalition on the council, led by Labour councillor, Neil Moore.[15]

References
  1. "John, Gwyn". www.valeofglamorgan.gov.uk.
  2. "Llantwit First Independents [De-registered 10/02/17]". The Electoral Commission. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  3. "Llantwit First Independents". The Electoral Commission. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  4. "Llantwit councillors refuse to resign, and pledge their commitment to the town". The Glamorgan GEM. 25 July 2008. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  5. "Llantwit First Independents back in power". The Cowbridge GEM. 21 May 2010. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  6. "Llantwit First triumph in Vale Council election". The Llantwit Major GEM. 10 May 2017. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  7. "Llantwit Major Ward — Vale of Glamorgan". Local Elections Archive Project. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  8. "Vale of Glamorgan Council elections 2012: Results". Barry & District News. 4 May 2012. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  9. "LOCAL ELECTION: Vale of Glamorgan profile". Penarth Times. 28 April 2017. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  10. "Cllr Stuart Egan Elected New Mayor Of Vale Of Glamorgan". Penarth Daily News. 12 May 2016. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  11. "New Vale of Glamorgan Mayor is elected". Penarth Times. 4 June 2012. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  12. "By-election Preview: 26 March 2015 - Llantwit Major". WelshElections.org.uk. 27 March 2015. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  13. "Llantwit Major by-election, 2015 - Conservative gain from Llantwit First". WelshElections.org.uk. Archived from the original on 3 April 2018. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  14. "Conservative surge in Vale local elections". The Bridgend & Porthcawl GEM. 9 May 2017. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  15. Matt Discombe (24 May 2019). "Ex-Tories won't fight by-elections in Vale". Llantwit Major Gem. Retrieved 2 June 2019.
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