Labourâs victor in the Newport West by-election said the result showed people were sick of austerity.
The battle for the Commons seat saw turnout slump with Labourâs Ruth Jones taking 9,308 votes, giving her a majority of 1,951 over the Tories.
Ukipâs Neil Hamilton took third place with 2,023 votes as the party saw support increase from its showing at the 2017 general election.
The contest was triggered by the death of veteran MP Paul Flynn and came against the backdrop of Brexit battles at Westminster.
Mrs Jones paid tribute to her predecessor in her victory speech, saying: âThis by-election has taken place because of the sad passing of Paul Flynn, our friend.
âThere have been many tributes to him over the weeks, but one saying stood out to me: âEveryone knew someone helped by Paul Flynnâ. These words have been an inspiration to me during this campaign.â
Mrs Jones added:Â âWho knows what the next few days, weeks and months will bring. But what I do know is that people have had enough after a decade of austerity.â
The city has long been a Labour stronghold and voted Leave by a margin of 56% to 44% in the 2016 in-out referendum.
Mrs Jones had been the clear favourite to succeed Mr Flynn, who held the Newport West seat for 32 years, winning with a majority of 5,658 and more than half the vote in 2017.
Voter turnout was 37.1%, down from 67.5% in the 2017 general election, with parties blaming poor weather including rain and hail on Thursday.
Mrs Jones, who campaigned for Remain in the lead-up to the EU referendum, said the country should not accept a âdamaging Tory Brexitâ or a no-deal outcome.
Speaking of votersâ feelings on the issue, she later told the Press Association: âThe general consensus was that Brexit had become a cloud that was on top of people and it seemed to be stopping the main issues getting up to Parliament, so the people of Newport West feel their voices are not being heard at the moment.
âThe trust in politicians is very low at the moment and I recognise that.
âThey say get on with it, we need to make sure we bring this to a close now, itâs gone on long enough.â
Ukip leader in Wales Mr Hamilton, the highest profile name taking part in the contest, sought a return to the Commons more than two decades after being ousted as an MP in the 1997 general election over the cash-for-questions scandal.
Mr Hamilton had hoped to benefit from the Brexit effect in the Leave-voting city and campaigned saying the by-election would provide a chance to send a clear message to Westminster over its handling of the UKâs exit from the EU.
After the result, he said: âTo nearly quadruple our vote, I regard a success in itself even though we didnât win the election.
âBrexit is the issue of the day and fundamentally that is itself the biggest issue of the day because itâs all about democracy, about whether we should be able to elect the people that make our laws and rules and regulations.
âUltimately this is what itâs all about. Itâs really whether you, the people, are the ones the politicians obey or the other way around. That is an issue that certainly isnât going to go away, and Ukip isnât going to go away.
âI regard this as the start of a new era for my part and I look forward to the next election, whenever that may come.â
Conservative candidate Matthew Evans took 7,357 votes, and saw a swing from Labour to the Tories of 2.36%.
Mr Evans also paid tribute to Mr Flynn, saying: âHe served our city for over 40 years with passion and commitment. I hope Ruth will look to Paulâs example as a dedicated local MP.â
He added that he had ânever seen such angerâ on the doorstep regarding Brexit.
Mr Evans said: âI have never known such anger and frustration which I share and has been reflected in the turnout. People just want clarity and Iâve seen no appetite for another referendum or a general election.â
Mrs Jones is a former president of the Wales Trade Union Congress (TUC) and was defeated at two previous parliamentary elections for Monmouth in 2015 and 2017 by Conservative David Davies.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn welcomed the victory, stating:Â âRuth will be a fantastic successor to Paul Flynn and will take up the tireless work he carried out for this community.
âTonightâs result sends a clear message that the people of Newport and Wales are fed up of austerity which has robbed the Welsh economy of ÂŁ1 billion through needless cuts, and shows support for Labourâs alternative.â
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