ELECTION ELATION

Campaigners against the closure of rural schools in Gwynedd received a further boost last night (Thursday) by winning another seat on the County Council in Blaenau Ffestiniog's Bowydd and Rhiw Ward.

Llais Gwynedd's David Lloyd Hughes received 341 votes defeating the Plaid Cymru Candidate,  Sheila Cunnington, who received 247 votes, and the Green Party's Dafydd Gwallter Dafis who polled 117 votes.

"Llais Gwynedd's bandwagon is still on track," said Llais Gwynedd Leader on Gwynedd Council, Councillor Owain Williams.
"With Plaid Cymru's power-base on the council still under siege," he added.

In a dramatic electoral challenge to Plaid Cymru's superiority on the council Llais Gwynedd gained 12 seats in last month's local governmentelections. The process was postponed and a bi-election called in Blaenau Ffestiniog's Bowydd and Rhiw Ward yesterday following the untimely death of the former Labour Party incumbent, Ernest Williams.

Llais Gwynedd was established mainly to oppose Gwynedd Council's school closure programme.

"This result is another sign of how Plaid Cymru with its professional
election machine has lost the backing of its traditional supporters," added Owain Williams.
"The party's lost all touch with the ordinary people and it now has to suffer the consequences," he added.