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| Plaid gamble pays off in Llanelli | Plaid gamble pays off in Llanelli |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Plaid Cymru's Helen Mary Jones has overturned a Labour majority of just 21 to win back the Llanelli assembly seat she lost four years ago. | Plaid Cymru's Helen Mary Jones has overturned a Labour majority of just 21 to win back the Llanelli assembly seat she lost four years ago. |
| Ms Jones beat Labour opponent Catherine Thomas - the former AM - by 3,884 votes against a turnout of 49.39 per cent. | Ms Jones beat Labour opponent Catherine Thomas - the former AM - by 3,884 votes against a turnout of 49.39 per cent. |
| Ms Jones' last seat was via the regional list, but a rule change meant she had to gamble between standing for the constituency or the list in 2007. | Ms Jones' last seat was via the regional list, but a rule change meant she had to gamble between standing for the constituency or the list in 2007. |
| The gamble paid off, with Labour saying its vote had "slipped away altogether". | The gamble paid off, with Labour saying its vote had "slipped away altogether". |
| Ms Jones said she had never doubted her decision to fight the Llanelli seat but shortly after the declaration admitted her convincing win "had not really sunk in yet". | |
| "I'm obviously thrilled. It's amazing, amazing," said Ms Jones. | |
| Very proud | |
| "Llanelli is my home community. I knew I had done the right thing when I made that choice, " she told BBC Wales. | |
| "Clearly I did not expect to have that decision validated to this extent - I'm very proud and quite humble". | |
| She said she would fight for the health service which has been at the centre of local campaigning because of Labour's plans to reorganise hospitals, and for jobs. | |
| Plaid had run a strong campaign to win the most marginal seat, one of the five key seats it lost in 2003. | Plaid had run a strong campaign to win the most marginal seat, one of the five key seats it lost in 2003. |
| Admitting defeat before the official result was declared, Labour's Llanelli MP Nia Griffiths said the Labour vote in the constituency had "slipped away altogether" | Admitting defeat before the official result was declared, Labour's Llanelli MP Nia Griffiths said the Labour vote in the constituency had "slipped away altogether" |
| She said voters had "ganged up on what they see as the best option to get rid of Labour". | She said voters had "ganged up on what they see as the best option to get rid of Labour". |
| Ms Jones has been an assembly member since its inception in 1999. | Ms Jones has been an assembly member since its inception in 1999. |
| She is the party's health spokeswoman and after the party's poor performance at the 2003 election was touted as a possible leader. | She is the party's health spokeswoman and after the party's poor performance at the 2003 election was touted as a possible leader. |