THE dwindling Lib Dem vote in Gwent was evident as Veronica German lost her South Wales East regional Assembly seat.

And she must have seen it coming because the wife of former South Wales East seat holder Michael German, who resigned when he was made a life peer last year, didn’t stick around to hear the result.

Instead Plaid Cymru were celebrating winning back the seat they lost when Mohammad Asghar defected to the Tories from Plaid last year, as the party’s Lindsay Whittle, the cformer Caerphilly council leader, was welcomed back into the fold by his colleague Jocelyn Davies, who also reigned triumphant at the polls.

Conservative William Graham stood strong too winning his fourth term in the regional seat.

Mr Asghar, said he was grateful to his constituents for the honour of being their representative.

He said: “I am so pleased and proud of my constituents in South Wales East, they believed in my vision - even if I changed my elegance they all believed in me.”

Plaid’s Lindsay Whittle promised to do his best for the people who elected him to his first term in office as an AM.

He said: “Whilst it’s been a disappointing night for Plaid Cymru I hope to be as constructive as possible, working in the Welsh Assembly, to ensure that as many benefits as possible can come to this region.”

Jocelyn Davies said she was absolutely thrilled that the party had won an extra seat and said she was proud to represent the people of South Wales East for another term.

William Graham said he was humbled by the endorsement of the electorate and said people could expect more of what they have already seen from him.

He added: “it’s been a privileged to represent the people and I will continue to do so in the same character as before.”

But there was disappointment for Labour’s Debbie Wilcox, which despite securing 82, 699 votes missed out on a regional seat.

The current serving Gaer councillor said: “I am ecstatic with the votes, I have put around 10,000 votes on since 2007 and I congratulate my colleagues who won.

“It does seem rather perverse though that 46 per cent of people have voted for Labour and I have lost.

“I can’t gripe because it’s about democracy.”