Council election highlights future targets

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 14th Jun 2004

Significant gains in Wales' large urban council areas have created a new set of target areas for the Welsh Liberal Democrats.

The kind of campaigning which turned the map of local government in Cardiff Central completely gold - the Welsh Liberal Democrats won every seat in every ward of the parliamentary constituency - is now underway in other parts of Wales.

Mike German, Welsh Liberal Democrat leader in the Assembly, said: "The local government results show a number of promising areas in Wales which could become 'the next Cardiff Central'. In each of the three big cities in the south, and Wrexham in the north we now have a platform on which to build for the next general election, and the Assembly election beyond that.

"Both local and European polls showed the Welsh Liberal Democrats increasing both outright vote, and share of the vote."

Now a handful of new seats have shown the potential to be 'the new Cardiff Central'. In Swansea West and Newport East constituencies Welsh Lib Dems polled more votes for the local government elections than any other party. The party came second in a further four - Swansea East, Bridgend and Wrexham - and also polled strongly in Ceredigion to be the second mainstream party.