The Welsh Liberal Democrats have selected their first candidate to stand in their top Welsh target seat in the next General Election.

David Chadwick, a cyber security consultant with family ties to Builth Wells, was selected as the party’s prospective Parliamentary candidate for Brecon and Radnorshire.

The selection follows major gains made by the Welsh Liberal democrats in Powys in their battle with Conservatives during this year’s local elections.

Mr Chadwick says he first gained an interest in politics following a visit with his grandfather to the steelworks in Port Talbot, seeing the intrinsic link between politics, industry and community.

He said: “Brecon and Radnorshire is one of the most beautiful areas of our country. Yet people in rural areas like this are angry at being taken for granted. They just can’t trust the Conservatives to do what is best for them, their families or their businesses.

“In contrast, people can see that their Liberal Democrat representatives are listening to them, and delivering to make Brecon and Radnorshire a better place to live.

“Whether it’s the local MP's support for the dumping of sewage in the national treasures of the River Wye and Usk; or Prime Minister Liz Truss signing trade deals that threaten the livelihoods of Welsh farmers, the Conservatives aren’t listening to local residents.

“I’m excited to kick off our campaign and act on people's concerns. The Liberal Democrats want to win Brecon and Radnorshire back and be the shared voice of rural communities in Parliament.”

In recent months the party became the largest group on Powys County Council, and in Brecon and Radnorshire they topped the polls with 15 councillors compared to the Conservatives who were left with just a single councillor.

The seat of Brecon and Radnorshire has long been considered a Conservative-Liberal Democrat battleground with the area’s MPs and Senedd Members coming from one of the two parties since 1979. The Liberal Democrats would need a swing of just 8% to take back the seat.

The local election results in Powys follow three large-scale by-election success for the Liberal Democrats across the country, including in the Conservative seats of Chesham and Amersham, Tiverton and Honiton and notably; the rural seat of North Shropshire just across the border from Powys.

Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, Jane Dodds MS, said: ““David will be a fantastic advocate for the people of Brecon and Radnorshire who will make sure their voices are heard loudly and clearly in Parliament.

“It is now up to the Liberal Democrats to win this constituency at the next election and give the area a representative who will stand up for local people’s interests and be a loud voice demanding change for the better.”