Flintshire People's Voice has won the Higher Kinnerton by-election on Flintshire County Council, with Josh Swash receiving 566 votes, or 91.3% of valid votes cast, on Thursday 15 October 2026.
Reform UK candidate Carl Mather and Conservative Oliver Wilson tied for second place on 21 votes each. Swash's winning margin over the nearest challengers was 545 votes.
Higher Kinnerton by-election: full result
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
| Josh Swash | Flintshire People's Voice | 566 | 91.3% |
| Carl Mather | Reform UK | 21 | 3.4% |
| Oliver Wilson | Conservative | 21 | 3.4% |
| Kristina Renshaw | Heritage Party | 10 | 1.6% |
| Penny Brett-Roberts | Independent | 2 | 0.3% |
The five candidates received a combined 620 valid votes. Reported turnout was 42.79%.
Local party gains seat from independent representation
The election followed the resignation of independent councillor Mike Allport, who had represented the ward and was re-elected without opposition in 2022. The result is therefore a gain for Flintshire People's Voice from an independent-held seat, rather than a gain from Labour or Reform UK.
Flintshire People's Voice was formed in 2024 by councillors who left the Labour group. Swash's election gives the local group another representative on Flintshire County Council. The group has criticised the council's management and set out policies on local services, housing and public accountability.
What the result shows
The winning candidate secured more than nine in every ten valid votes in this particular by-election. The result is a ward-level contest and should not be treated as a representative measure of support across Flintshire or Wales. Because the previous election was uncontested, a like-for-like vote-share swing cannot be calculated.