Newly elected Illtyd Ward Councillor Brandon Dodd has spoken exclusively to Bro Radio in his first interview since being elected.
Dodd was elected to the Vale of Glamorgan Council, with 729 votes - a majority of 72 over Plaid Cymru runner-up Taif Ball.
The Iltydd Ward has traditionally been a Conservative or Labour seat, with the two parties this time dropping to third and fourth respectively in the recent by-election, triggered by the death of former town mayor Howard Hamilton.
Dodd is a new face to politics, having joined the party off the back of a conversation with a relative just a few months before standing as a county councillor. He says his election shows local people want to see change and give Reform UK a chance.
"I think people want change and they're thinking Reform hasn't had a chance. A lot of people that I've spoken to on the doorsteps have thought Reform, give them a go type of thing."
"People are fed up of the status quo of Labour, Plaid Cymru and the Conservatives. They're a bit fed up of how things have been run over the last 20-plus years, even sooner. So I think people just wanna see what we can do."
"We haven't had a chance, so why not give us a chance and see what happens? Then people can critique us. We haven't really been criticised, but we haven't had the experience to do it. So give us the experience and then you can criticise us."
Cllr Dodd will be one of the youngest on the Vale of Glamorgan Council at 26, and whilst the party has been criticised in some areas of the UK for young councillors and cabinet members, Dodd says people shouldn't put down young people for wanting to stand for election.
"I think people are just scared cos they think we haven't got the experience, especially some of our younger ones, that I believe there's one that's 19 or 20. So there is a lot of youner, but fresh blood."
"It doesn't matter some of us might have no experience in life, some of us you'd be surprised that the 19-year-old might have more experience than the 30, 35 year old person. I think it's really good to have younger people interested in politics, interested in their areas and having a strong voice and a young voice, where the older generation might be more stronger on other things or a bit set in their ways."
Reform's breakthrough on the Illtyd ward is the latest in a string of by-election victories on Welsh councils - with the party also gaining its first Senedd member following the defection of South Wales East MS Laura Anne Jones from the Conservatives.
Opinion polls in the run-up to next year's Senedd elections suggest Reform are neck-and-neck with Plaid Cymru - last week's ITV Wales poll suggested just one point separated the two parties with Welsh Labour in third and losing support.
But locally, Cllr Dodd - who will be Reform UK's first Vale of Glamorgan councillor - admits it'll be an uphill struggle for him to create meaningful change in the Illtyd ward.
"Well, I'm gonna try my best. It's definitely gonna be an uphill battle with me being the only one, basically independent. But I'm hoping that my voice and experience and things that I care about, like social services, as I've worked in it, I can bring my voice and experience to that and just try my best and speak to try and see who I can get along with and try and make sure we can push motions that we can all agree with and people speak for my residents more than anything."
"To get their voice out there, that might not have been before. Some people that were Reform, but they couldn't speak to their councillor because they were Labour or Conservative, and now we are here. Maybe they wanna speak about stuff that wasn't brought forward before."
Listen to Bro Radio's Exclusive interview with Cllr Brandon Dodd:
Barry: two men arrested for shoplifting
Councils launch major housebuilding scheme
Senedd revamp costs reach £4.22m
Illegal e-bikes and scooters seized in Cardiff Bay
Cadoxton Primary launch search for Past and Present school voices
Penarth officially launches Placemaking plan to shape the town's future
Barry Curry House named Takeaway of the Year 2025
Bro Radio Juniors Receives Two Nominations in the 2025 Community Radio Awards
Cardiff ad restrictions 'could go further'
Senedd members’ pay to rise as lowest-paid staff face cuts
Hare coursing: farmers call for rural crime unit
Bro Radio partners with Hospital Radio Glamorgan for Cardiff Half Marathon Coverage
'Deep concerns' over tourism shake-up scrutiny
Cardiff Council restricts junk food ads
Gavin and Stacey star to lead Victory Over Cancer Walk
“We are alone” - cladding scandal victims
South Wales Central MS Andrew RT Davies is calling for greater action to be taken to stamp out illegal hare coursing in the Vale of Glamorgan.
Whitmore High wins workplace award
