Boris Johnson faces first electoral test as polls open in Brecon and Radnorshire by-election
Boris Johnson faces his first electoral test as Prime Minister today as voters head to the polls in the Brecon and Radnorshire by-election.
The by-election in the Welsh seat has been called following a recall petition by residents against the incumbent Tory MP Chris Davies following his submission of a false expenses claim.
Read more: Boris Johnson visits Northern Ireland for talks to resolve power-sharing stalemate
Polls are now open and the result is expected to be declared in the early hours of the morning.
A loss for the Tories could see Johnson’s working majority reduced to just one, making it more difficult for the Prime Minister to push through any of his Brexit plans.
The party’s majority currently stands at just two after the Conservative MP for Dover, Charlie Elphicke, had the whip suspended after he was charged with three counts of sexual assault last month.
The Liberal Democrat candidate Jane Dodds is the bookies’ favourite to take the seat, which narrowly voted Leave in the 2016 EU referendum.
Johnson visited the Welsh constituency earlier this week as part of his tour of the UK as Prime Minister.
While in Wales he promised farmers – who have raised concerns about the impact of a no-deal Brexit on their exports – that they would be “better off” outside the EU.
He said scrapping the EU’s common agricultural policy, which provides financial support to farmers in member states, and creating new trade deals would leave farming communities better off.
Johnson said: “I will always back Britain’s great farmers and as we leave the EU we need to make sure that Brexit works for them.
“That means scrapping the common agricultural policy and signing new trade deals – our amazing food and farming sector will be ready and waiting to continue selling ever more not just here but around the world.
Read more: Boris Johnson clashes with Leo Varadkar over Irish backstop
“Once we leave the EU on 31 October, we will have a historic opportunity to introduce new schemes to support farming – and we will make sure that farmers gets a better deal.”
However, the Farmers’ Union of Wales warned there could be “civil unrest” if the the UK left the EU without a deal, while the National Sheep Association in Wales said Johnson needed to stop playing “Russian roulette with the agriculture industry”.