Reform UK has suffered a series of disappointing results in Welsh council by-elections, finishing third in two key contests triggered after former Reform councillors were elected to the Senedd.
The setbacks come amid signs of weakening support for the party, with recent polling suggesting declining momentum. Political analysts have linked the slowdown to controversies surrounding comments made by some Reform politicians, difficulties at English councils controlled by the party, and continued scrutiny over the £5 million donation made to Nigel Farage by cryptocurrency billionaire Christopher Harborne.
In Carmarthenshire’s Llangennech ward, Plaid Cymru secured victory after Iwan Griffiths won 41.4% of the vote. Labour finished second with 28.9%, while Reform candidate Gavin Rashbrook came third with 24.2%.
The by-election followed the resignation of former Reform councillor Carmelo Colasanto, who vacated his council seat after being elected to the Senedd earlier this year.
Reform also failed to make gains in Merthyr Tydfil’s Dowlais and Pant ward, where Labour candidate Dean Barrett won comfortably with 40.1% of the vote. Independent candidate Nick Meaney finished second, while Reform’s Terry Donegan placed third with 18%.
The vacancy arose after David Hughes stepped down following his election to the Senedd. Hughes had originally been elected as an Independent before defecting to Reform in 2025, with Nigel Farage personally unveiling him as one of the party’s high-profile recruits.
Plaid Cymru recorded its strongest result in Treorchy, where Richard Clarke secured a commanding landslide with more than 70% of the vote. Reform candidate Craig Ford, a former Welsh Conservative press officer who recently joined Reform, finished a distant second on 16%.
However, Plaid suffered a setback in Denbighshire’s Llanrhaeadr-yng-Nghinmeirch ward, where Independent candidate Ian Evans defeated Plaid’s Hefin Edwards. Reform’s Nigel Deed finished third with less than 8% of the vote.
The party’s only success came in Rhyl South, where Reform’s Tony Thomas captured a seat previously held by Labour, winning 44.3% of the vote ahead of Plaid Cymru and Labour.
Despite that victory, the overall results represented a disappointing night for Reform UK, with the party losing ground in several closely watched contests and failing to build on recent electoral gains in Wales.