Newly-elected Reform UK councillor Stuart Keyte said that Labour has "decimated pride" in the valleys as he discussed his historic victory in Trevethin and Penygarn.
"I think I was more frightened of winning than losing," Keyte said, acknowledging the "enormous responsibility and trust" placed in him by residents.
Reform UK has secured its first ever council seat victory in Wales, with Stuart Keyte winning the Trevethin and Penygarn by-election in Torfaen with 47 per cent of the vote.
The historic win saw Labour's vote share plummet by 49.2 percentage points, dropping to just 26.6 per cent from their previous 75.8 per cent.
Stuart Keyte said that Labour has "decimated pride" in the valleys
GB News
Speaking to GB News he said: "It's a very proud town with a fantastic history and heritage.
"It's one of the birthplaces of the Industrial Revolution. And I feel as though in many ways that pride is slowly being decimated in these valleys.
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"So it's for me to do the best I can to try and bring some hope to the people."
Speaking about the "smear campaign" against him, he said: "They tried every little trick in the book. But hey, at the end of the day, we overcame it. We stood fast on our campaign.
"We stuck to what we knew was right and proper. And the results are showing that."
He added: "A lot of our politicians in particular, they seem forgotten, that we're supposed to be the servants.
"And the electorate, they're supposed to be the bosses, but in this part of the world, it's totally changed.
"We've got situations in where we have government imposing policies on the people that we don't agree with.
"I think an example of that, of course, is the is the 20 mile per hour speed limit. So I think it's a frustration now.
"I realise now that just labour it's just not not working in these, in these valleys. And, and people here are ready for a change. We can't run a country on ideology."
First ever Welsh Reform Councillor speaks out on win
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Keyte defeated Labour candidate Toniann Phillips by nearly 200 votes in what Reform UK's party chairman Zia Yusuf described as a "resounding" victory.
The result marks a significant shift in the traditionally Labour-held ward, where the party had won both seats comfortably in the 2022 local government elections.
While Labour retains overall control of Torfaen Borough Council with a majority of 12, Reform UK's presence has grown to four councillors following this latest victory.
The final results showed Keyte securing 457 votes for Reform UK, with Labour's Toniann Phillips receiving 259 votes.
