Monmouthshire has become the first female majority council in Wales, after Rachel Buckler was elected county councillor for the ward of Devauden in a by-election.

The by-election on Thursday October 20 had been called following the death of Cllr Bob Greenland earlier this year.

Cllr Buckler held the seat for the Welsh Conservatives after securing 268 votes from the 661 votes cast in total, which represented a turn-out of 50.8% from the overall electorate of 1,301.

The result also confirms Monmouthshire as the first County Council in Wales to hold a female majority.

In May this year, Monmouthshire and the Vale of Glamorgan became the first county councils in Wales with an equal split of female and male councillors following local government elections.

However the Devauden by-election result now sees Monmouthshire’s 46-member council become the first with more women than men elected to it, with Cllr Buckler’s election resulting in 24 women now serving on the authority.

This of course comes after Labour’s Mary Ann Brocklesby was elected as the first female leader of Monmouthshire County Council in May this year.

Having successfully managed to hold the Devauden ward for the Welsh Conservatives, Cllr Buckler was congratulated on her election by several of her Conservative colleagues and fellow County Councillors, including Monmouth MP David TC Davies and Leader of the Welsh Conservatives Andrew RT Davies.

Member of Senedd for South-East Wales, Laura Ann Jones and Monmouthshire Conservatives leader and County councillor for Mitchel Troy and Trellech Richard John also congratulated Cllr Buckler.