Joel James
Rhondda Cynon TAF councillor and former Conservative Member of the Senedd.
Joel James returned to Rhondda Cynon Taf Council on 3 September 2026, holding Llantwit Fardre for the Welsh Conservatives with 57.5% while Reform UK, months after its Senedd breakthrough, came third.
Last refreshed: 7 October 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Why did a former Tory MS beat Reform in Llantwit Fardre?
Timeline for Joel James
Won Llantwit Fardre with 57.5%
UK Local Elections 2026: Rhun ap Iorwerth sets six goals for WalesBackground
Joel James is a Welsh Conservative councillor for Llantwit Fardre on Rhondda Cynon Taf Council, a seat he regained in September 2026.
He first sat for the ward from 2008 to 2022. In May 2021 he entered the Senedd as a Conservative member for the South Wales Central region and served until April 2026, latterly as the party's shadow Cabinet secretary for local government and housing.
At the May 2026 Senedd election, the first under the new six-member constituencies, he stood in Caerdydd Ffynnon TAF and was not elected. His return to the council four months later restored the local base he had held for 14 years before entering the Senedd.
James wins back his old ward
James polled 57.5% in the Llantwit Fardre by-election on 3 September 2026, up from the Conservatives' 49% in the ward in 2022. Plaid Cymru took 18.2%, Reform UK 13.3% and Labour, which controls the council, 10.4%. The contest followed the resignation of Conservative councillor Sam Trask, who had left the area.
The result came four months after James failed to return to the Senedd. Reform had won 34 Senedd seats in May, yet in a ward James had represented for 14 years it finished more than 44 points behind him. In his old ward, a familiar local name outpolled The National surge by a wide margin.
Who won the Llantwit Fardre by-election?
Who is Joel James?
Why was there a by-election in Llantwit Fardre?
