# 2017 Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council election

The 2017 Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council election took place on Thursday 4 May 2017 to elect the 33 members of Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council in Wales. This was on the same day as other 2017 United Kingdom local elections. The Council shifted back from Labour to Independent control.

## Results

2017 Merthyr Tydfil Council Election :
| Party | Seats | Net gain/loss | Seats % |
| Independent | 17 | +10 | |
| Labour | 15 | -10 | |
| Merthyr Independents | 1 | 0 | |
| Liberal Democrats | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| Plaid Cymru | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| UKIP | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| Communist | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| Conservative | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
The outcome of the election wasn't decided until 8 June 2017, because the vote in the Cyfarthfa ward was delayed due to the death of a candidate. At the 4 May election the Independents overtook Labour as the largest group on the council, but were 1 seat short of a majority. They gained two of the three Cyfarthfa seats on 8 June to win control of the council. The former Labour leader of the council also lost his seat at the elections.

## Ward results
### Bedlinog

Bedlinog ward (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Michael Colbran | 727 | 65.8 |
| | Independent | Sherelle Jago | 718 | |
| | Labour | Helen Thomas | 288 | 26.1 |
| | Labour | Jeffrey Beard | 284 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jasmine Sakura-Rose | 90 | 8.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Swing | |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Swing | |

### Cyfarthfa

Cyfarthfa ward (3 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Geraint Thomas | 1,369 | 30.0 |
| | Merthyr Ind. | Paul Brown* | 1,300 | 28.5 |
| | Labour | David Chaplin* | 1,202 | 26.4 |
| | Labour | Margaret Davies* | 1,137 | |
| | Labour | Carol Estebanez | 1,072 | |
| | Merthyr Ind. | Terry Thomas | 1,068 | 28.5 |
| | Independent | Bleddyn Hancock | 812 | |
| | Plaid Cymru | Mark Evans | 685 | 15.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 64.0 |
| | Independent gain from Labour | Independent gain from Labour | Swing | |
| | Merthyr Independent hold | Merthyr Independent hold | Swing | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
The vote in the Cyfarthfa ward was delayed until June 8 because of the death of independent candidate, Ieuan Harris, during the campaign. The results gave the Independent group enough seats to have an overall majority on the council. The current mayor, Margaret Davies, who'd won her seat at a November 2012 by-election, lost her seat.

### Dowlais

Dowlais ward (4 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Declan Salmon | 1,122 | 64.0 |
| | Independent | Tony Rogers | 863 | |
| | Independent | David Hughes | 762 | |
| | Independent | Julian Amos | 777 | |
| | Labour | Phil Williams* | 631 | 36.0 |
| | Labour | Ray Thomas* | 570 | |
| | Labour | Tom Lewis* | 537 | |
| | Labour | Simon Williams | 531 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | |
| | Independent gain from Labour | Independent gain from Labour | Swing | |
| | Independent gain from Labour | Independent gain from Labour | Swing | |
| | Independent gain from Labour | Independent gain from Labour | Swing | |
| | Independent gain from Labour | Independent gain from Labour | Swing | |

### Gurnos

Gurnos ward (4 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Lee Davies | 569 | 51.3 |
| | Labour | Rhonda Braithwaite* | 541 | 48.7 |
| | Independent | Clive Tovey* | 486 | |
| | Labour | Bill Smith* | 479 | |
| | Labour | Deborah Isaac | 423 | |
| | Labour | Mike O'Neill | 421 | |
| | Independent | Mikey Mochan | 402 | |
| | Independent | Gerwyn Butler | 368 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | |
| | Independent gain from Labour | Independent gain from Labour | Swing | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Swing | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |

### Merthyr Vale

Merthyr Vale ward (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Darren Roberts* | 698 | 61.1 |
| | Labour | Scott Thomas | 509 | |
| | Independent | Jeff Edwards | 445 | 38.9 |
| | Independent | Lynne Colston | 266 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |

### Park

Park ward (3 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Tanya Skinner | 802 | 51.0 |
| | Labour | Clive Jones* | 772 | 49.0 |
| | Labour | Chris Barry* | 689 | |
| | Labour | B. Toomey* | 667 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | |
| | Independent gain from Labour | Independent gain from Labour | Swing | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |

### Penydarren

Penydarren ward (3 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Kevin Gibbs | 656 | 50.3 |
| | Independent | Chris Davies | 649 | |
| | Labour | David Issac* | 647 | 49.7 |
| | Independent | Dougy Evans | 515 | |
| | Labour | John McCarthy | 467 | |
| | Labour | Dan Beard | 463 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Swing | |
| | Independent gain from UKIP | Independent gain from UKIP | Swing | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |

### Vaynor

Vaynor ward (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Howard Barrett* | 948 | 66.7 |
| | Independent | Lisa Mytton* | 923 | |
| | Labour | Anthony Owen | 474 | 33.3 |
| | Labour | Emma Karan | 371 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 44.2 |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Swing | |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Swing | |
* = sitting councillor in this ward prior to election