Rhondda Cynon Taf Council
Local authority for Rhondda Cynon TAF in South Wales.
Rhondda Cynon Taf Council's ruling Labour group finished fourth in the Llantwit Fardre by-election on 3 September 2026, as former Conservative MS Joel James held the ward with 57.5%.
Last refreshed: 7 October 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
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Timeline for Rhondda Cynon Taf Council
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UK Local Elections 2026Background
Rhondda Cynon Taf Council governs the county borough of Rhondda Cynon TAF in South Wales. It came into being on 1 April 1996, bringing together the former Rhondda, Cynon Valley and Taff-Ely districts, and works from Llys Cadwyn in Pontypridd.
The council has 75 members elected from 46 wards. Labour has controlled it outright since 2004 and won 57 seats at the 2022 election. Ann Crimmings became leader in April 2026.
Its by-elections offer a local reading of Welsh politics after the 2026 Senedd election, when Plaid Cymru formed the government and Reform UK became the largest opposition party. The Llantwit Fardre contest in September 2026 was one such test.
Labour finishes fourth in a council ward
The by-election on 3 September 2026 was called after Conservative councillor Sam Trask moved away. Joel James, WHO had represented the ward for the Conservatives until 2022 and then sat in the Senedd, won it back with 57.5%. Plaid Cymru took 18.2% and Reform UK 13.3%; Labour, the council's governing party, trailed on 10.4%.
The seat was a Conservative hold, so the council's balance did not change and Labour's majority stands. What the result showed was how thin Labour's vote can run in a ward where it is not the incumbent, and that Reform's 34 Senedd seats in May had not yet translated into council strength in this part of the borough.
Who runs Rhondda Cynon Taf Council?
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