The penultimate local election preview looks at the five local authorities that make up most of the former county of Gwent or the Gwent Police force area – take your pick.
- Current Administration: Labour majority.
- Current Leader: Cllr. Jane Mudd (Lab).
- Number of Seats (2022): 51 (+1).
- Current Seat Distribution: Labour (30), Conservative (13), Newport Independents (4), Liberal Democrats (2), Independents & Non-Affiliated (1).
Previous Results:
- 1995 – Labour control.
- 1999 – Labour control.
- 2004 – Labour control.
- 2008 – No Overall Control.
- 2012 – Labour control.
- 2017 – Labour control.
Labour will be confident they can retain a majority.
Labour (and on occasion, the Lib Dems) tends to do well in the multi-member city centre wards, while the Conservatives tend to dominate the suburban and semi-rural wards to the east and west.
The splitting of Rogerstone into three wards with an extra member under the boundary review could suit both Labour and the Conservatives, with the sitting Newport Independent councillor (not seeking re-election) being caught up in a highly-publicised scandal.
One other key contest is likely to be Bettws. The Newport Independent party – standing in six wards – won a clean sweep of three seats in Bettws in 2017. It’s the sort of ward Labour will be seeking to make a comeback in even though they’ve found it difficult to shift the Independent vote in the past.
The Lib Dems have managed to increase the number of candidates and you would expect them to build upon their current two seats – perhaps not dramatically, but progress is progress.
As has been mentioned elsewhere, one of Propel’s two candidates in Tredegar Park & Marshfield will be standing for election….from Dubai.
