AFTER his dramatic victory over Fay Jones at last week’s General Election, David Chadwick celebrated by enjoying the delights of Llandrindod Carnival last weekend.

Mr Chadwick won the Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe seat – which welcomed 20,000 new voters thanks to the 2023 review of Westminster constituencies, adding in areas of Neath Port Talbot – with 13,736 votes, edging out runner-up and predecessor Ms Jones, of the Conservatives, by 1,472.

There was plenty of drama at the Royal Welsh Showground last Thursday night, July 4, and into the early hours of Friday, with Mr Chadwick’s victory announced a little after 5am.

It came after Craig Williams had been ousted from Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr by the region’s first-ever Labour MP, Steve Witherden.

As many constituencies woke up to new representatives last Friday, the new flock of MPs have been getting used to their new surroundings of Westminster – including Mr Witherden, who spent his early days in the capital “bunking” with a cousin.

Mr Chadwick, meanwhile, spent his first day in London as an MP on Monday, but not before celebrating his victory on home soil.

“Fantastic day at Llandrindod Carnival,” he tweeted on Saturday, July 6, posting pictures in the spa town as he enjoyed the carnival with wife Gemma and young son William.

“This is such an iconic town that really comes together when it needs to. Thanks for putting on such a good family day out.

“And glad to see Pete Roberts (Llandrindod county councillor and Liberal Democrat campaigner) tucking into a well-earned burger after his mammoth canvassing sessions.”

On Monday, Mr Chadwick tweeted images of the slightly different surroundings of Westminster.

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“Honoured and humbled to have spent my first day in the House of Commons alongside a record number of Lib Dem MP’s,” he said.

“This is a parliament that desperately needs to deliver the deep change our country needs. Ended the day with a rain-drenched panel courtesy of @SharpEndITV.”

Times have changed

The good news for Mr Chadwick, who lives in Brecon with his family, is he will not be alone when the new Parliament is called to meet for the first time next Tuesday, July 9. More than half the new intake of MPs are completely new to the Commons.

MPs received a white enveloped from the Returning Officer as soon as they were declared the winner at their individual constituency counts. It contained a welcome letter from the clerk of the House of Commons and an information booklet about what to do when they first arrive.

A map was one of the key tools handed out to help navigate the maze that is Westminster’s corridors – which stretches over 8 acres, has 100 staircases, more than 1,000 rooms and 3 miles of passages – alongside information about new laptops and how to hire staff.

Another letter set out information about pay, pensions, expenses and guides to staff payments.

MPs are also being offered panic alarms, in a symbol of how security concerns have grown in recent years.

All MPs are given security passes and offered a key for a locker, which could be their effective office for a month or maybe more; in 2010, 59 per cent of new MPs waited 5 weeks or more for an office.