This year's local elections in Newport are likely to be hotly contested, with Conservatives aiming to wrestle some close seats away from the Labour-led council. With 16 councillors not putting their names up for re-election in Newport, a number of boundary changes and local issues vying with national concerns, there is uncertainty over which way some wards in the city might go in this year's local government elections on Thursday, May 5.
The Welsh Conservatives are hopeful that strong campaigning on local issues will help them claim victory seats in some hotly-contested wards, while the Liberal Democrats and independents are also hoping to mount a challenge to Labour, which has controlled the council since 2012. Boundary changes confirmed last year mean Newport’s number of councillors will increase by 1, taking the council from 50 to 51 members and increasing the number of wards from 20 to 2021.
Read more: How do I know if I'm registered to vote for local elections in Wales?
