19:22

The elements have not been kind to candidates and party activists in south Wales as voting in the Newport West by-election nears its conclusion.

These tweets from Labour supporters summed it up – monsoon rain, biblical hail. Union-branded raincoats and brollies.

GMB Wales & S West (@GMBWSW) We’ve campaigned through a Monsoon, Biblical hail and sunny Skies in Newport today on the #LabourDoorstep for @RuthNewportWest.



If you can spare an hour or two come join us and experience Newport’s a Wild weather 🌨🌧☀️ pic.twitter.com/ZgrEHqeYY9

Angela Rayner (@AngelaRayner) Now out campaigning in #NewportWestByElection for our fantastic candidate @RuthNewportWest such a great response on the door for Ruth. Note my @unisontweets brolly and @GMBPolitics waterproof coat 😁👍🌹#StandingUpForNewportWest @WelshLabour @nptwestlab pic.twitter.com/1kLl7ZxgX9

There has been concern among the two main parties here – Labour and the Tories – that turnout may be low, reflecting many people’s frustration with politics. And the icy blast will not help.

Newport West has long been a Labour stronghold and was held by the veteran MP, Paul Flynn, for 32 years until his death in February. At the 2017 election, Flynn’s majority over the Tories was 5,658. In 1997, Flynn had a 14,357 majority.

During the campaign, neither Labour nor the Tories focused on Brexit. The Labour candidate, Ruth Jones, was happier talking about how the introduction of universal credit was hitting citizens and about fear of crime in the city. Tory, Matthew Evans, was keen to make the election more about controversial plans to build a new motorway in Newport than the EU.



The city as a whole voted to leave the EU, with 56% backing Brexit, and some have seen the by-election as a test of how both main political parties had been affected by the crisis in Westminster.



Ukip will be hoping the impasse will lead to their candidate, Welsh assembly member and former Tory MP, Neil Hamilton, having a good night. Ukip has finished third in the last three general elections in Newport West.

Polling stations close at 10pm and we’re expecting the result some time around 2am on Friday. The venue for the count is the Geraint Thomas National Velodrome of Wales. Reporters have been told to watch out for cyclists if they turn up early and not to walk on the track in high heels.